A CELESTIAL VISITANT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXII, Issue 9701, 4 November 1909, Page 2

A CELESTIAL VISITANT.

Halley's Comet has already beeu visually observed. This (writes the Rev. P. W. Fairclough, P.R.A.S.) is a tribute to the power of modern instruments. No doubt the observer is helped by,the certainty that the object is there, but allowing for that, the observations are early. On its first return after Hallwy's time it was seen on December 25th, 1758. It made its perihelion pasnage ou March 12fch, 1759—less than three months after beiug first detected. At its next visit in 1835 it was first seen on August (ich, and reached is perihelion ou November Kith—ten days more than three mouths after discovery. This was an improvement of 23 days ou 1759. This year it was seen about October 20t~.1i, aud the perihelion is fixed for April Kith. That is, it has beeu sighted six mouths before perihelion, instead of three months. Considerable interest will be felt iv the accuracy of the prediction of April Kith. In 175S Clairaut, a French computist, revised Halley's forecast and found that the comet would bo delayed 100 days by Saturn and 518 days' by Jupiter. He fixed the perihelion for April 13th, 1759, with a moDth allowed for error either way. The real date proved to be March 12th— ;usfc a month out. Considering that neither Uranus nor Neptuue was then known, the work was very good indeed. In 1817, Clairaufc, then an old man, published his computations for the returu of 1835. He fixed ou November 7th. The real date was November Kith. Another Frenchman had predicted November 12th. Two Germans had arrived at November 11th and 2<ith. Seeing that Neptuue was then unkuowu, these results are excellent. On that occasion the earth was held to have hastened the comet by days. In 18(i-l the second Freuchmau meutioned above placed the now approaching perihelion ou May 24th, 1910. Mr Crommeliu, an Englishman, has receutly fixed upon April Kith. The comet will be watched with interest, as it seems strange that the man who was within four days in 1835 should be 38 days out this time. Still, Mr Crommoliu is iv possession cf all the data, aud has worked the returns of the comet backward into pro-Christian times, correcting several previously accepted identifications. The comet will be a disappointliiout to die ordinary, observer. It is wastiug away, the tail stuff being winnowed out of itjjy frequent returns. The short period comets have no tails. Our visitor recedes 3,370,000,000 miles into space. It will pass within 12,000,000 miles of the j earth. At perihelion its motion will Ibe 1800 miles a minute. The earth travels about 1130 miles a minute. Iv the latter part of November the I comet will be near Aidebarau. At ! preseut it is above the head of Orion.