THE COMET

Hokitika Guardian, 8 December 1927, Page 4

THE COMET

A STIIAXGEH |\ THE SKIES. idKELY TO INCREASE IN HIM r.UAXCE. A fairly good view was obtained of the cornel locally last evening up to 10 o’clock. '! lie comet was fairly low down in (he south-south-west, ’flu’ bright, moonlight, however prevented it. showing out as distinctly as it otherwise uould have done.

The comet which appeared so suddenly a few days ago is gradually brightening as it nears the sun, and is now a conspicuous object in the south-west skv. The nucleus, which appears to he increasing in size, is of about the same brightness as a third magnitude star. The tail is well defined and straight, and its length is now about’ a diameter and half of the moon. The comet is a striking object as seen by the naked eye. but the beauty of the spectacle is enhanced when either good lick! glasses or a small telescope is directed on it. AN hen viewed through a large telescope, an element of haziness enters, giving the comet a nebulous appearance. It is interesting to notice how persistently llio tail turns away from the sun. This suggests that radiation in some form, emanation from the' sun when i( strikes the nucleus of the comet, repels the line matter assembled there, and drives il directly away, forming, really, a hollow com 1 of extremely tenuous matter. through which even faint stars can he seen with their luminosity undiminishecF.

The comet is likely to increase in brilliance for some days, hut until its orbit has been calculated and the date of its perihelion passage* ascertained, any prediction lots an element of uncertainty. Our visitor is an entirely new com- | et, and like so many of the brightest comets wo have ever had has come quite unexpectedly. It may yet turn out to be* a magnificent one like that of ISol. As already explained. we shall knew more about this when its orbit has l>orn ascertained. GRIGGS’ COMET"? ACCEL AND. Dec. 7. Professor [tnrln idge. president of tin* Auckland Eniverslty, says the indications arc* that the comet is identical with that known as Grigg Skjellerup, the honour of discovering which belongs to a Now Zealander, Air .John Grigg, ot Thames, who saw the lain* comet on .Inly *22. 1002. Di May. 1022 Slvollerup at the Cape of Good Hope found a comet, which was conjectured to lie* Grigg’s comet. Calculations made hv G. Martin utilising some

photographic observations made at Greenwich two and n-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 live years less eleven days. ’I liese figures are based on articles by Dr Crommelin, in Hurhinsons “Splendour of the Heavens" which concludes. “The comet should lx* seen again in 1927 about the same time as Fonswinnacke. Its period is the shortest of any known comet, with the exception of Huckcs."