Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-11-01
THE APPROACHING CATAs-
TROPHE.
The Expected Meteorfc shower
I'm Observation-Disclosures Sci
enttfiC specufatiOns.

enttfic specuiatiOns.
Professor Ferguson, of the National OBJ
servatory in Washington, is making arrange
nents to take scientific observations on the
expected metooric display 10 November next
The subiect of meteors and shooting stars
has engaged the attention of eminent astron-
omers within the last century to greater
extent than ever before among them Pro-
fessors Olmsted. Twining and Newton have
written valuable papers IN connection With
il.
The appesrnnce of shooting stsrs-is quite
common. but in the months of August and
November Of each ycdr they are seen in
greater numbers. generally abeut the 10Th
OF August and the ] 9TH ofNoveuiber The
great meteoric Shower Of lT90 scents TO
have drawn the attention of astronomers
more particularly tothis subject, and from
that time TO the recurrence Of the ,meteOric
shower in 1888, and up to the present day,
they have been cndcavoring to refer the
! different phases and characteristics OF the
phenomenon TO known laws, and TO establish
the exact anniversary OF It's appearance.
Thus far the more brilliant OF these me,
teoric showers have occurred at intervals OF
thirtythree years; that. Of 1888 was especl
! ally distinguished BY the immense number
! for the remarkable size and splendor of
/ many of them. Among the many myriads
of blazing meteors visible on that occssiop
| ono was seen at several places on this ,conti.
! ncnt. Ii was recognized BY several observ
ers by its extraordinary 2ize and brilliancy,
as weTT az bv the length Of time its train re
mained visible, which was ten minutes. The
luminous train seemed to follow the meteor
! in serpeptine course, and finally dlsap
peared in vast nehulous cloud, many
times larger than the moon, and which con
| tinued to move onward with velocity
greater than the clouds. 80. O.,
The uleteoric display Of 1899 and 1888;
were characterized by the fall OF meteorites
which, rushing to the earth with a lout
noise, penetrated heneath il several feet. :
The peripdicity of these starry showers j
not so definitely asccrtained with regard Il
the day as to the year They have occurred
to greater or less degree in the months 0
August and November, from 1888 to 1899
but the most remarkable of. them have ap
pcared on the 10Th Of Noyember, or betwee
that date and the l4th. y,
The next appearance OF the meteoric pht
nomenop, therefore, is sexpected on or abou
the 15th Of next month The observation
OF the astronomers have demonstrated tl1a
the shooting stars are more numerous ot
tween midnight and sunrise, aud the major
, ty Of them agres that in fixing the radiar
point-that point 10 which the lines descr
bed by the meteors in their fight centre
| in the constellation Leo. limiting the arc
Of radiation to the immediate vicinity of H
gulus in the neck Of the lion. Others assig
: the radiant point to the constellation OrioI
: The theory most generally accepted
accounting for the regular recurrence I
metcoric showers is that an unusual aVgr
, CATION Of these asteroids exists in the plar
, which is reached by the earth at that poi,
of its orbit, and through which the earth
several hours in passing although observ
, tons have not been sufficiently nuulero,
to establish the exact period Of the earth
arrival at this part of its orbit. Durir
, the fight Of meteors in November, 1873:
much apprehension was manifested iroI
the fear that one or more Of these astcroit
t would come into collision with the eartl
Z but hitherto no disastrous consequence
/, have ensued from this grand celestial di
play, aud although there is reason TO belle,
that an event Of this kind is possible. scie
life men unite in tho opinion that such
!, calamity is not within the bounds of prob
II bihty 0 o. '' t'i.t