AN INNOCENT COMET.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12097, 15 March 1910, Page 2

AN INNOCENT COMET.

.. HALLEYTS ASTD ITS t TAIL. -„' A; JSpecial to Herald.) \'\ AUCKLAND, tiiis day^. ; Sorao wicked designs bavo recently been attributed to Halley's comet whicli, according to -some scientists, : is likely to give tho earth' a neighborly flick with it? stail m passing* and produce atmospherical changes -which will either, result m the human race dancing to .death m a delirium of de}ight, oWjng to the in-' creased per(sentagb:bf flxygeti m the aiiy oi* sutfocatJuigv miserably.: A .':. scientist jwbo is at present .in 'Auckland is in--clined to think more kindly of the comet than this. 'Mr F. K. McLean, F,R.A.Si, who is passing through on his, way to Tasmania, where lie will view the total eclipse of the sun on May 9 is disposed, to think tbat the -comet has been sadly .maligned, and. that instead of being a terrestrial lion it will bo only one of the pet lambs'of infinitude. 'The' comet,' he thinks, will be quite a. tame atfaiithis tvlp, shorn oi much of. its. former terrific glory, and . its '. tail' will not , bedense enough ,to .penetrate our atmosphere. Mr McLean considers that it is an encouraging; fact that m 1882 our earth negotiated a more . fearsome tail thau Halley's comet is likely to have, and the world still wakes 'up to- the work on Monday mornings. Up to the present Halley's comet bas not .formed a beacon m tlie sky. The, person who,' knows where to t look; foi* it has been able to recognise it as a' hazy blob m both northern, and southern hemispheres, but the person who does not know comets extensively would pass it by for a star. The dreadful tail has not developed yet, but corners never do show -their tails till they approach the sun, and. are generally most alarming after leaving, the sun ; so oficpur^rjEJalley's comet jnay .draw the eyes of mankind^ -yet it ' will be at its best about the middle of May ; but the worst Mr McLean" fears is . electrical

effects, such as : auroras and deviation of the compass. Even for this the marinei need hardly tremble, as tlie effect will probably be less than that of a big electrical storm.