New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-08-04
THE NEXT METEORS.

more remarhaDle season Ot sucA 0"f'~' =,
near at hand. Shooting stars are seen o'e.y "'A'A
of the year. but there are come half poNon po-
riods during which they are very abundant A,''
are Apr,l 22-25, July l7-26-duriug which the
late meteor aopeared-Aug. ell, Oct. 1913
Nov 12-l4, Nov. 27-29, Dec. GLE. Jaauary is
mentioned as having frequently brilliant displays,
but the day lie not stationary. The August epoch
seems to have been the richest of late years. 1t
hardly ever fails to bring very abundant harvest
of meteOrs. Formerly that of Nov. 12-l4 exceeded
all others. The December epoch seems to be poor,
and the second one of November the most barren
of ALL
AS luminous meteors, stones falIiUg to the earth
in showers or sDgly, shooting stars and the like,
seem to be all due to the same cosmical Causes,
these epochs are of special interest to the astono
mer and meteorological The late Professor Baden
Powell gave the subject much attention for Essn
years, and up to the very time of his death, pre-
septing annually to the British Assoc alton u
special report on the subject comprising elaborate
tables of the meteOrs, prepared with great care,
from extended observations, and various CO.
operation. The report of the present year was
presented to the Association at their late meeting
at Oxford, by Mr. j. Glai.her, who comp ed the
tables which Mr.. Powell had in hand. The report
concludes with q notice of memoic, by N.
Schmidt on the Importance of greater attention
being paid to the tails or luminous trains of light
left BY luminous meteors in their track, which
sometimes remain long after the meteors themselves
have disappeared.
Most of the facts quoted below are mentioned
in the annual reports.
DIR. BUST of India, furnishes the British Associa-
ton for the Advancemei tot Science at their meet
ing for 1849 with the following results of his OBJ
servatiOns:
"The leading characteristics which distinguish our
larger and Lesser erotes the following: the larger
gene, ally appear luminous st.r Of the first the
lesser scarcely much star of the third msgai-
tude. Ire light of the larger meteors is generally
orange, BLUSH or greensh hardly ever white. IL re-
sembles that of star of Roman candle as if given
out by considerable mass Of matter. II Is Dever
at all dazzling. r~~ When approaching the iermi-
nstion OF it's course, 1t commonly flames out with an
usnsl brilispcy. If mseors fsD over the twenty
four hours indscrminstely. the number entering Our
atmosphere must be immeuse.'
August 10, 1920, at o'clock in the morning,
meteor was seen in England by the Rev.John Webb,
which had the appearance of q luminous lioe, with
sparks issuing in great quantity from both SIDES Of
it. This soou disappeared gradually, and directly
after, another, much less bright, was seen further
Oh, which lasted ouly for moment. He was also
informed that obe had been seen about II p. m,
which was much brighter and lasted longer Shoot
ing stars were observed in surprising numbers all
night.
In le47 multitudes of shooting stars and several
large meteors were seen almost every clear night
between the I'd and Doth of August.
August 25, l649, splendid meteor was seen 10
England, followed by train of stars.
August ~, 10, Ia, of same year, great numbers
were observed in France, and their tracks mapped
down. All appeared to originate in the constella.
ton Pegasus.
10 IS49 the maximum of the August epoch rose
to 100 motors in an hour, and it's duration about
fifteen days. The maximum happens invariably
about he 10th.
August aud 10, 1s49 NJ. Quatelet, at Brussels,
determined % per hour as the average or
mean number.
On the night of the 10th, NJ. Heis, at Aix.la-
Chapelle, France, counted 254 between 9 o'clock
p. III. and a. IN.
Another observer on the same night counted 80
at Berne. A great many were observed GA the
right following also. August H. there are on
ball, three times brighter than Sirius another of
similar appearance six times brighter than Sirius
another eight times brighter than Sirius. They
continued numerous for several nights.
In tie August epoch of 1850, rs we're counted
in an bour and half on the 9th, all except four or
CameOpardali. The illustrated London Neus con-
tanned an account Of one seen about 10 o'clock Of
the 10th at TipperaIy, which was nearly equal to
the iull moon. 1t was described as at FIRST reddish,
and afterward brilliant blue. The Light from it
east strorg shadows of objects. 1t had train con.
sistipg Of three lopg tall, which remained waving
backward ard forward for thirty seconds after the
meteor had disappeared.
In The London Times of August 10 is an account
Of shower of meteors, too many to count, Wit.
NJ ssed on the 10th by the Rev. j. j. Irwin and
others who were with him. They all seemed to
issue from the same tract, and took nearly the
same direction toward the hOr zOn.
At Penzance, Cornwall, England, one was seen
about D. 10. on the 10Th of the same year, half
us large az the full moon and equal in brightness to
the rising moon 1t lasted fifteen seconds. Another
at ii p. w., nearly half the diameter of the moon,
globuar, of yellow color, and having q train OF
light. 1t moved slowly. On the 14th one was
seen four or FIVE times larger than Jupiter, of