HALLEY'S COMET.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 247, 2 April 1910, Page 2

HALLEY'S COMET.

Hallcy's comet is not visible at present as it is directly behind the sun, but it will rise forty-five minute:-) prior to our source of heat unci light during April, and it will continue to travel further and further from the sun until about two hours and fortylive minutes earlier than the huh. This gives a good opportunity of observing the tail, which rises before the head. It will be possible for anyone to stand on the hill-sides during the eccond week of April, about, three or four o'clock in the morning, looking directly eastward, and observe the tail with the naked eye. Shortly afterwards, the early riser will see the complete comet. Its me will becomi earlier and earlier every day unli-' May 7th, when it will be;:in to descend towards the sun again. On May lIHh, the head transits the disc of the .sun, and on that day or the next we will pass through its tail. The whole sky will then, it is said, be illuminated by a faint light soon after sunset, the tail shooting away from the sun, and the head of the comet pointing downwardg. The comet will reach its perihelion (the point, that is, when it is nearest the sun), as far as New Zcalandeivi are concerned, on April 17th in the present year, about midday, unless all calculations should need much more revision than is expected. The probability is that up to the time when the comet reaches perihelion, it will not be very conspicuous; but ailer passing that point, and in the part of its orbit corresponding to its great appearance in 1456, when its tail extended half way across the sky, we may see it at its best. Although wo pass through the tail, it is reassuring to know that (lie comet itself will be IJ, 000,000 miles away on May 21st, the date when it wili be at its nearest to the earth.