HALLEY’S COMET

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21961, 4 March 1946, Page 2

HALLEY’S COMET

Sir,—ln order to clear up a fairly general argument as to when “Halley's Comet” last appeared, would you publish, if possible, the authentic date. Most printed references give the yefir as 1010, which I believe is incorrect. My reasons are that I was married in March, 1001, and I have every reason to if now that the comet appeared before that date. Furthermore I became a resident of Gisborne in 1000 and I ;aw the comet in Auckland some years prior to coming to Gisborne. SAM J. PEARSON.

[According to information in “Worlds Without End,” written by the Astronomer Royal, H. Spencer Jones, Halley’s Comet made its most recent appearance in 1910. It was then not favourably placed for observation in England but was a magnificent spectacle in the southern sky. Many New Zealanders should be able to recall the superb sweep of its well-defined head and flowing tail. Records of its appearance at each return—every 75 to 70 years—back to the year 980 A.D. have been found, and, with a few gaps, it has been traced back to the second century B.C. Brook’s Comet was seen in 1903 and 1911 and Morehouse’s 'Comet in 1008. In June, 1921. the earth escaped collision with Pons-Winnecke’s Comet by a few days only. The opinion of astronomers is that such a collision, if the comet were a large one, would be serious for the region of the earth where the impact occurred. In the case of a comet of an average small size

the effects would be relatively local.— Ed., Herald.]