FOUR COMETS THIS MONTH

Chronicle (Levin), 13 September 1946, Page 5

FOUR COMETS THIS MONTH

Press Association

By Telegraph —

WELLINGTON, Sept. 12. Four comets may be expected in the southern sky this month, says tlie Director of the Carter Observatory (Mr. I. L. Thomsen) the most important being-the Glacohini-Zinner comet wliieh lias been in the Northern IIemis])here and is travelling rapidly southward. • It last a])peared in 1.933, passing so close that the Earth passed through the_ dust it leaves behind and a brilliant display of meteors ajipeared at the rate of 400 a minute. This year it is passing still closer, and it is likely that an even more brilliant display will be sesn in the Southern Hemisphere. Certainly local observers will not be able to see the magnificent spectacle, which"' is expected in the northern skies. The comet should be brightest on the night of Oetober 9 when it would be in the east ern sky. On August 7, Mr. A. Jones, of Timaru, observed a new body which was called the comet Jones. This lias lieen under continuous observation and although still only visible through u telescope is brightening and had a faint tail. The future movements are uncertain. While following photographically the progress of comet Jones, Mr. D. C. Berry, of Dunedin, found a much fainter object near it, which appears to be a comet travelling much 'faster than the comet Jones, but no confirmation of its exact nature has yet been made. It has been noticed to have an unusual motion and nothing can be decided until its path in spaee can be determined. A cablegram from Canberra reports the diseovery of the comet Johnson which is fainter than either of the other two, and is rrioving fairly slowlv. It is situated in the northern sky in the early evening, but is invisible to the riaked eye, f