COMRIE'S COMET.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 236, 6 October 1914, Page 3

COMRIE'S COMET.

A Departing Visitor.

Mr L. J. Comrie, of the University Collego, Auckland, son of Mr J. A Comrie, of Pukekohe, writes to us as fuliows under date October 4th :

" People will no doubt be wonder- i ing why they have not seen the recently-discovered comet There ; are perhaps two reasons. In the , first place the moon passed fairly close to it, and, as everybody knows, j faint and nebulous objects—the Milky Way for instance—cannot be ! seen on a bright moonlight night. | It was, however, still faintly visible j to the naked eye on Wednesday! last. Tho other reason is that it I may be receding from our earth instead of approaching it, but it is impossible as yet to speak definitely on this point. When comets are discovered they nre usually appioaeh- j ing the sun, consequently they | brighten till they pass their' perihelien. i.e, tho point in their j orbit nearest the sun, and then recede until they cease to bo visible even in the largest telescopes, llalley's comet, although a naked , eye object for only a few weeks was seen in telescopes for a year later. For the five days that this new comet was l.iightest, i.e., from September 'JOlh to '2lth. clouds prevented it from being seen, otherwise there is no doubt tlint it would easily have attracted more notice. If it is rroing to be seen again the best chance will be on Tuesday and Wednesday evening for an hour or so after 7DO o clock before the moon lises. It is moving fairly; rapidly among the stars —about four degrees a day when last observed— so that it must not be looked for in the same place each night." I Mr Connie says he is dubious | whether the comet wi'l again be a j naked eye object.

NO U>NGER VISIBLE. Al 1 KI.ANIi, ' k t<>l ,t r •">. (By Telegraph—.Special to li.mi;-. It is too cloud)' to observe tlio comet to night, I.ut feel pra. tiially «< itain from calculations made thin afternoon that it U tecrtling and i will not }"■ a naked-eye object again. It' sucli is tin 1 < it must j have reached its greatest brilliancy and nearest point 'o the earth i between September _'<) th and -">tli, I soon after it was discovered, and at ! tlio timo when clouds prevented it | from being seen.