The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1866-12-19
The Shower Of Meteors.

Inc shower OF meLeoTs,
MAGNIFICENT DIsPLAYIN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND.
The mails by the Scotia bring full accounts
of the shower Of meteors observed in England
and Scotland on the morning Of the 18th ult.
The display was magnificent, especially in
London, where the Sky was covered with
flashing meteors in such number as almost to
defy computation. In other parts of England,
the number was smaller and at Liverpool a
storm prevented observations; but wherever
the shower was visible, the most brilliant
effects Of color were produced, and some
singular phenomena attended the course of
the meteors.
The Times Of the 18th has the following
account of the display observed in the neigh
borhood of Paddington Green:
"The fiery shower foretold by the science
of America and Europe for the night of the
18th or l4th of November in this year, was
in this year, was seen in full splendor yester-
day morning between the hours of twelve and
two. From about eleven O'Clock occasional
meteors might be seen gliding along the sky
from east 10 west, but these were only the
avant couriers of the great legion that follow
ed at later hour
1.-The numbers increased after 2 O'Clock
with greatrapidity. From Paddington Green,
a fairly open position, got meteors were
counted between IL and 1890, and Of these
the greater number fell after 1920. The next
hundred was counted during the six minutes
that succeeded the haf-hour Soon after this
It became impossible for two people to count
the whole that were visible from this station;
and doubtless from positions with purer at
mosphere, and a wider horizon, the spectacle
must have been one Of surprising splendor
Indeed, from a window at Higbgate, looking
n N. E., but with circumscribed view, an
observer counted 100 meteors in the four
minutes between 1899 and 1896, and no less
than goo in the two minutes between 1857
and 1859
LAS the constellation Leo rose over the
houses north of Paddington Green and clear
ed itself Of kaze, the divergence Of the me-
teor-paths from a point within it became Oh
yious, not merely in the direction of the
streams that shot from or through the zenith,
but in those that left their phosphorescent-
seeming trails in TIE sky towards every point
Of the compass.
Sometimes these Iocket-lke lines of light,
would glide out like sparks flying from an in
candescent mass of iron under the blows Of
Titanic hammer, but with the distinctive fea-
lures, first, of those lingering lines Of iIlum-
mated haze in their track, and secondly, Of
their rarely appearing as if they originated in
The region Of The SKY from which their courses
evidently diversed
Sometimes the meteor was orange and al
most red in color, whereas the luminous trail
seemed almost always, probably BY contrast
with the surrounding light of a blush hue.
In one splendid instance the trail, after having
nearly disappeared, together with the rocket
head that had produced it, became again lit
up and visible concideney with sort of re-
susctation OF brightness in the body of the
meteor. Now and then a little Illuminated
puff ball would appear in the middle of the
constellation Leo, generally more or less
elongated or elliptic in form, as it seemed TO
be more or less distant, and at the same time
convergent from an imaginary point that's seemed
about three degrees south by east of the star
gamma Leonis; and one, as near as could be
estimated to such point, was simply a star
that waxed, and waned, and disappeared as
one looked at it.
Sometimes a minute point of light, like a
FREELY, would dart with an angular, jerking
motion and zigzag course hithrr and lhithcr
but still as If away from Leo.
"Only about three meteors were seen dur
ing an hour and a-half to take direction
manlestly opposed TO that Of these diverging
mulitudes. The meteors which shot towards
the western horizon seemed more brilliant and
larger ii their courses than those which drop
ped into the eastern; indeed, very few seemed
even to reach the roofs Of the houses from be
hind which Leo had arisen. This was posi-
bly, only an effect Of perspective, or it may
have arisen from the curtaiIment Of the view.
AS regards the long lines that fingered in the
paths of the meteors ii seemed that generally
they we're more dense and brightest toward
the middle of the visible path of the meteor
while the meteor itself seemed brightest just
before its extinction, an effect possibly due to
an observation in the middle of its course by
matter thrown of from it. The metcors seem
ed also to lose velocity as they went, but this
might have been the result of perspective in
those passing through the zenith.
Gone singular feature in these celestial fire.
works was the rapidity with which the maxi
mum of frequency came on and went off
again. About two O'Clock the meteors seemed
as scarce as they were at twelve, though they
continued in smaller numbers till the verge of
daybreak.
From half-past l2 or quarter to | until
about quarter-past Or half-past !, the heay
ems seemed vertabIy alive with stars rushing
in many parts Of the sky, in groups Of two Of
three together or in immediate succession on
each other seeming as though racing over the
blue vault, except that their courses 50 rapidly
diyerged
The cloudless beauty Of the night near
London was happy circumstance, on which
we may congratulate every watcher of the
skies, not only as allowing lie forecasts Of the
to be thus signalIy and splenddly
verified, but takesuch store of facts regard
ing the nature of the light and of the motion
Of meteors, and SO many simultaneous OBJ .
5cryaons of them in different parts of our
Stands, as may lead to some accurate knowl- I
edge of their laws aud their nature, and add
2ne more chapter to the sublime volume of
physics
In its leading editorial article, the London
Times of the 18th, says:
Look where we would it was the same; in
he far west, and throughout the entire north,