COMET APPROACHES EARTH

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2253, 19 March 1921, Page 4

COMET APPROACHES EARTH

BEWARE OF JUNE 15. (Melbourne Argus Correspondent.) London, Jan. 20. The late Sir Robert Ball was fond of relating this story. During his astronomical lectures he used to tell how the sun was gradually losing its heat, and, in the course of some seventy million years, this will be

exhausted. Rite on our planet will then he impossible. On one occasion, a member of the audience rose in evident perturbation. “Pardon me," he asked, “hut how many years did you say before this calamity overtakes us?” “Seventy millions,”

replied Sir Robert. The questioner sank hack in his seat with a sigh of relief. “Thank heaven,” he ejaeulaied. “I thought you said seven millions."

Latter-day astronomers are less encouraging than Sir Robert Ball. Some of them are even threatening danger for June 15th, 1921, when' Ur. Crommelin, the Astronomer Royal, estimates that the comet Rons-Winnecke will approach the earth once more. It seems to he the comet which was discovered in 17(10 and reappeared in 1819 and 1858. Sir Richard Gregory, the editor of Nature, and Emeritus professor of astronomy at Qu ecu's College, London, is pessimistic regarding the consequences if the head of PonsWinneeke hits the earth. He says that the continuous combustion of thousands of meteorites might even set the world on fire. It is true that Sir Richard Gregory expects the earth to pass through the comet’s tail rather than its head. If so, the worst will be a firework display which will-put "Brock's Benefit” in the shade. But the difference be►wi'pd heads and tails seems all too little when the end of all things is in question. Sir Richard Gregory compares the prospect of the world ending in this summary mariner to that of a random shot from a riffo hitting a bird in full flight. Again, the possibility is too close" to he pleasant.

However, the earth has its own methods of protection against the meteorites weighing a ton or more, which make up a comet's head, usually the earth's atmosphere, acting as a torpedo net and preventing most of the thunderbolts reaching the earth’s surface. The astronomical authorities suggest that if any Englishman fears the results of a collision between the comet and the earth, he can emigrate to- the southern hemisphere and avoid all. risk. If an unusual number of emigrants reach Melbourne about June 15th, you will know the reason why,