The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-12

Expected MeteOrtc shower I'm November
-InteresttnR Scientific SpeculRtlOns.
WAsHNGToN. October 1O.-Professor Fergu-
con, of the National Observatory IN this city, is
making arrangements to take scientific obser
vations on the expected meteoric display in
November next. The subject of me,eors and
shooting stars has engaged the attention of emf
nent astronomers within the last century to a
greater extent than ever before; among them
Professors 0lmsted Twining, and Newton have
written valuable papers in connection with it.
The appearance of shooting stars is quite
common, but in the months of August and No
vember of each year they are seen in greater
numbers, generally about the 10th of August
and the 18th of November. The great meteoIic
shower of 1899 seems to have drawn the atten.
ton of astronomers more particularly to this
subject. and from that time to the recurrence of
the meteoric showers In 1888, aud up to the
preselt day they have been enueaVoring to
refer the different phases and characteristics OF
the phenomenon to known laws. and to estao-
lish the exact anniversary OF its appearance.
Thus lar the more brilliant of these mpteorc
showers have occurred az intervals of thirty
three years; that of 1888 was especially distin-
guIshed by the immense number OF moving
metCors TO be seen at once, and for the remarka-
BILE size ana splendor OF many of them. Among
the myriads Of blazing meteorS visible on thai
occasion, one was seen at several places on this
continent. 1t was recognized by several OBJ
servers by its extraordinary size and briIancy,
as well as by the length of time Its train re-
mained visible, which was about ten minutes
The lum mInous train seemed to follow the meteor
IN a seIpentine course, and finally disappeared
in vast nebulous cloud, many times larger
than the moon, and which continued to move
onV ard with velocity greater than the clouds
The meteoric displays of 1893 and 1888 were
characterized by the iall OF meteorites, which,
rushing towards the surface of the earth with
LOUD noise, penetrated beneath 1t several feet.
The DpriDdicItV N thpSa hO, ia nOt
so deunitely asCertained with regard to the DAY
as to the year. They have occurred to greater
or less degree in the months of August and
November, tIom 1888 to 1889; but the most re-
markabie of them have appeared on the 18th
of November, or between that date and the I4th.
The next appearance of the meteorlc phe
nomenon, therefore, is expected on or about
the 18th OF next month. The observations of
astronomers have demonstrated that the sh Dot
ing stars are more numerous between midnight
and sunrise, and the majority of them agree IN
fixing the radiant point-that point in which
the lines described by the meteors IN their fight
cenre-in the constellation Leo, limiting the
area Of radiation 70 the immediate vicinity OF
Regulus In the neck of the lion. Others assign
the radiant point to the constellation Orion.
The theory most generally accepted IN account.
ing Tor the regular recurrence OF meteoric
| showers, IS that an unusual aggregation OF those
asteroids exists in the plane which is reached by
the earth at that point of Its orbit, and through
which the earth is several hours IN passing, al
though observations have not been sufficiently
numerous to establish the exact period of the
earth's arrival at this part of lis orbit During
the flieht of meteors in November, 1888 much
apprehension was NANTES ted from the tear that
one or more of these asteroids would come into
collision with the earth; but hitherto disas.
trous consequences have ensued from this grand
celestial display, and although there is some
reason to believe that al event of this kind Is
possible, scientific men unite in the opinion that
such a calamity is not within the bounds OF
probability.