COMET SWINGS AT BEAR’S TAIL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 127, 31 May 1937, Page 7

COMET SWINGS AT BEAR’S TAIL

300,000 YEARS SINCE LAST VISIT TO EARTH LONDON, May 1. A comet near the tail of the Great Bear is paying its first visit to the neighbourhood of the earth for 300,001) years, according to Dr. Martin Davidson, president of the British Astronomical Association. It is now 124,0U0,000 miles from the earth, but will be only 119,000,000 miles away on June 20. Then it will go about a billion miles away. It is named Whipple’s Comet, after the American who discovered it. Most of the observations used by Dr. Davidson in his calculations were made by Dr. Steavenson and by Mr. Will Hay, also known as a comedian. TRIP TO NEW ZEALAND

PRIZE FOR A SCHOOBOY Received May 30, 5.15 p.m. LONDON, May 28. An Aberdeen schoolboy will have a month's stay in New Zealand In partial commemoration of the New Zealand Shipping Co.’s vessel the Otaki’s fight in wartime with the Moewe. Relatives of the late Captain Bissett Smith, V.C., commander of the Otaki, in memory of the fight presented Robert Gordon’s College, Aberdeen, where Captain Bissett Smith was educated, with a shield, which will be presented annually to the boy preeminent in character, leadershinp and athletics. The shipping company has supplemented this with a free return trip. The first winner is the school captain, who sails on the Rangitata on June 24.