THE COMET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20286, 20 December 1927, Page 9

THE COMET

VISIBLE IN ARlZONAdescribed AS BRILLIANT. (Pree» Association—By Telegraph—Copyright ) NEW YORK, December 17. Reports from Flagstaff (Arizona) and La Plata (Argentina) states that the Grigg-Skjcllenip comet is visible to the naked eye, but astronomers in Now York and Washington failed to see it. The United States naval observatory astronomer made a flight in an aeroplane to a height of 10,000 ft, but a high layer of haze prevented observation. It is expected that the comet will be visible to the naked eye in every part of the Western Hemisphere within a day or two. Dr Slipher. director of the Lowell Observatory at Flagstaff, rescribed the comet as follows:—“It is unusually brilliant. It was brighter than Venus at her maximxum brilliancy on Friday, even though the dazzling rays of the sun extended over the region. This indicates that it was of a minus five magnitude. At the time the length of its tail, visible to the naked eye, was about half a degree of the diameter of the full moon. A spectroscope analysis of the comet’s light shows the latter to be practically all reflected sunlight. Direct photographs of the comet show it to have a small nucleus, varying considerably in shape from an elongated to a circular form, with nets directed towards the sun. Conspicuous envelopes were visible on the sunward side of the nucleus. —A. and N.Z. Cable.

SIGHTED IN GERMANY. LONDON, December 18. Tha Hanover Observatory sighted the Grigg-Skjcllerup comet, and believes that it will be visible .after sundown during the next few days.—A. and N.Z. Cable. DISAPPOINTED WATCHERS. LONDON SKY OVERCAST. LONDON, December 19. (ReceTved Dec. 19, at 7.40 p.m.) Many watchers with telescopes waited for the comet on Parliament Hill, Hampstead Heath, and other high ground in London, but. the sky was overcast and the conditions defeated even Greenwich Observatory. DrW. H. Steavenson, president of the British Astronomical Association, hopes it will b G seen this evening and to-morrow about 4.45, as German advices say that the visitor is of the. first magniture, and will be visible in northern latitudes for at least 10 days, when the moon will fortunately be absent. Telegrams from Berlin state that the best observation was obtained in Hanover on Friday, when it was most brilliant, and near the sun, with its short tail turned upwards and away from the sun. It is expected that (he stumpy tail will increase in length daily until after Christmas. The sky has been cloudy in Germanv since the Hanover observation.—A. and N.Z. Cable.