THE COMET

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 7 December 1927, Page 5

THE COMET

NOW BRIGHTLY VISIBLE UNNAMED AND UNEXPECTED. POSSIBLY GRIGG-BKJELLERUP. Last night, at Hastings, just after dusk the comet was plainly visible in the southern sky to the naked eye, but soon after it became obscured by a bank of clouds, from behind which it could only be seen dimly at intervals. •Ultimately the clouds cut the spectacle off altogether and, after 9.30, it was completely lost to view in Hastings. . These mysterious heavenly visitors, in spite of the terrific velocity with which they shoot across the sky (as can be seen from the length of the tail) are nevertheless members of cur solar system, revolving in elleptical orbits round the sun. The variations in their reappearance has been calcu lated as from 3 1-3 to nearly 80 years. In the case of those comets which take anything up to nine years to complete their circuit, very accurate prophecies of their appearance can be made in certain cases. The_ comets due to appear in 1927 weird Neujmin, which last appeared in 192] (period, 5.41 years); Grigg, last visible in 1922 (period, 4.97 years); PonsWinnecke, seen last in 1921 (period, 5.98 years), and Schaumasze. previously observed in .1919 (period, 7.97 years). In addition to the comets jibove mentioned as appearing in 1927, the comet Encke, whose last appearance was in 1924, was forecasted as due to be sighted in February next. Her period of perihelion passage is 3.30 years, and as this period is to be considered a$ approximate, it may be that increased velocity has brought it within range of vision two months earlier than was anticipated On clear nights the comet "ap. easily be been in the southern sky. It is’about in a line with the pointers of the Southern Gross, AUCKLAND PROFESSOR’S CONJECTURE. (Per Press Association). Auckland, Dec. 7. Professor Burbidge, president «it the Auckland University, says the indications are that the comet is identical with that known as GriggSkjellerup’s, the honour of discover, ing of which belongs to the New Zealander, John Grigg, of Thames, who saw a faint comet on July 22. 1902. In May, 1922, Skjelierup, at the Cape of Good Hope, found 8 comet which wag conjectured to be Grigg's comet and calculations made by Mr. G. G. Merton, utilising some photographic observations made at Greenwich two and a-half months after the discovery of 1902, made the identity of the comet almost certain. The comet had completed four revolutions in the interval, its period being flve years, less eleven days. These figures are based on an article by Dr. Crommelion in Hutchinson’s “Splendour of the Heavens,” which concludes: “The comet should bo seen again in 1927 about the same time as Pons-Win-necke. Its period is the shortest of any known comet with the exception of Encke’s.’’ If, as suggested by Professor Burbidge, the comet now to b 6 seen from New Zealand is identical with the Grigg-Skjellertip, it is considerably overdue, for its timetable date for arrival was in May last, a month earlier than t|jp Pons-Winuecke, which was due to be visible last June THE FIRST PERSON TO SEE COMET. Wellington, Dec. 6. The Government astronomer, Dr. C. E. Adams, has received numerous messages from various parts of New Zealand advising him of the comet. Mr T. Holmes, an officer of the Athenic is believed to be the first person in New Zealand to see the comet. He observed it while rounding East Cape at 10.30 p.m. on Satur day. The comet was then sec» as bright as a star of the first magnitude, while its tail could be easily discerned with the naked eye. Its head was pointing to the horizon, and it was about in a line with the points of the Southern Cross and as far away from the furthest pointed as that WM from the actual cross itself. Adverse weather conditions have prevented its being seen in Wellington,