THE COMET.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 828, 28 May 1910, Page 10

THE COMET.

-. "H.W." writes as follows:—Since you published; my last letter on May 18,"the comet has,; presumably, started on its return journey, and the interest its visit created is already diminishing. The average man has no "time, to devote to speculations about such matters. But surely such a rcmarkablo phenomenon as that we have just witnessed must set many people thinking. A special reason for increased interest in comet phenomena, is supplied by the failure of some of the predictions of tho scientists with regard to Halley's comet. It was to pass between the earth and the sun on May 19, yet not a trace of its transit was discovered. Its tail was to envelope tho earth on tho same day, with at least an accompaniment of meteoric showers. But nobody saw anything unusual; and yet if the tail was composed of meteoric dust, surely something would have been noticed. It' would seem to outsiders such as I that the scientists have been a littlo too previous in their predictions with regard to Halley's comet. I am sorry that Dr. Kennedy did not even refer to the suggestion made in my letter of May IS, that the tail of the comet might bo only the effect of a sun ray-passing through the nucleus, and being-projected on to particles 'of cosmic dust in a dark surrounding space. I fear this is much ton simple an explanation for such a remarkable phenomenon. Yet all of the discoveries of science have been found to be in accord with tho fundamental laws of nature. One of our poets has tersely expressed this fact: Tho very law that moulds a tear, And bids it trickle from its source, That law preserves the earth a sphere. And guides the planets in their course. On Wednesday tho comet's tail stretched over more than 00 degrees from east to west; on Saturday it had swung round, so that it lay in on exactly opposite direction. Can -we conceive the cosmical electrons Mr. Wraggo says the tail is composed of passing in so short a time over the vast distance represented by such a movement, I am seeking information on this point, which I find has puzzled many. With regard to the elliptical path of Halley's comet, indeed of all others, is it not possible that they may have another sun like Durs to go round as well? If so, the remarkable form of their paths is at once accounted for. But doubtless this, also, is much too simple an explanation to bo worth consideration.

[In the course of one of his lectures Dr. Kennedy stated that one astronomer said that the tail was only an optical illusion. He was free to believo so, but the lecturer thought that ho was wrong, for all astronomers who had gone deeply into the matter agreed in saying that tho tail of a comet, though of very light material, was substantial. Moreover, if the tail were but an optical illusion, it could not produce a spectrum.]