The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-11-14
royEnBER mETEoRs.
Letter from Prof. Newton, of Yale Col
lege, to Prof. Henry, Secretary OF inc
Smithsonian Institute.

Smithsonian Institute.
YALE CoLLEeE, Nov. 81, 1865.
DEAR SIR: You request briet statement
of such facts respecting the probable return
7of the November meteors this year as are OF
general interest to serve as reply to inquiries
made upon the subject also. for a statement
of some of the points to which the attention
of observers should be called.
The fact of a periodic return OF the me-
teors seems shown by the following facts:
On the 18th of November, A. d. 1883, was
remarkable shower, ever to be rememoefeo
by those who witnessed it.
: A similar display of less intensity was
seen over all Europe on the morning o! the
18th of November of the year previous. 1t
was very generally spoken of IN the newsps-
pers of the day and formed the subject OF at
least two extended articles in the scientific
Journals.
On the morning of November 18th, A. D.
1790.a shower very like that OF the year 1888
was witnessed in various parts OF America,
an d was particularly decrbed by Humboldt,
who was then in South America.
He refers to similar display in A. d.
1865. but the day of the year is not given.
An unsual number of shooting stars was
noticed on the 9th of November. A. d. 1898.
The Chinese records state that several hun
bred shooting stars appeared on the night
of the 9Th of November, A. D. 1902. (Thls
and the following dates are, for convenience
given in the new styles)
Both in China and in Europe large num-
bers of shooting stars were witnessed on the
Sd of November, A. d. 1888.
On the morning of the 31st of October, A.
D. 1885, a most remarkable shower was wit
messed in Europe.
A similar shower occurred on the morning
of October 26th, A. D. 1902
Falling stars are reported ON the 23d of
October, A. d. 1101.
The Chinese records speak of thousands
of shooting stars on the goth of October, A.
D. 1902.
Both in Europe and in China large num-
hers of shooting stars were seen on the 18th
of October, A. D. 1884,
In China they were seen October 21st A.
D. 931.
But one of the most remarkable showers,
as well as the first shower of this series of
which we have any account, was on the morn
ing of October 18th A. D. 902.
These years, it will be noticed, show very
distinctly cycle ofabout, the third of CEN
fury, while the day of the month has advan-
ced quite steadily at rate of about three days
in a century. 1t should be added that this
list is not made up of selections from large
mass of similar records. 1t includes all the
known occurrences of this phenomenon be-
tween A. D. 902 and A. D. 1899 that have
happened within ten days of the proper time
of the year of this shower.
After A. D. 1888, the number of meteors
seen on the morning of the 18th of Novem-
Der, though, for few years, somewhat great
er than we see on ordinary nights, were yet
inconsiderable, and, after five or six years.
no one could claim unusual numbers on that
morning. For the last three or four years,
however, there have been distinct indications
of the return of the November meteors. This
was particularly manifest last year, inasmuch
as single observers ON the morning of the
18th of November, witnessed about seventy
five meteors per hour. A party of four per-
sons, at New Haven, counted 1913 in an hour,
and party at Greenwich Observatory
counted $50 in an hour These numbers are.
probably, five or six times as great as would
be obtained on ordinary mornings. Nearly
all the meteors, moreover, moved in paths
diverging from the constellation Leo, which
is popularity of the November shooting
stars.
Wecannot predict with confidence great
er display this year. The thirty three year
cycle ends in 1865. rather than 1865, and
hence such display may I've looked for
But we must remember that for many returns
of the period since A. D. 9O2 we have no ac-
count of corresponding shower
But for the experience of last year, the
morning of November IA would be named as
the time to look for the meteors. But their
occurrence then on the 18th, and not on the
14th makes it necessary to look for them on
either morning of this year.
They cannot be expected in great abund-
ance until the constellation Leo is above the
horizon, that is, until eleven O'clock In pre-
vious displays, the maximum has usually
been between 8 o'clock and dawn.
Previous displays have continued several
hours, and have been visible over consider
able regions. If the time of the shower falls
this year between the mornings of the 18th
otherside of the earth. Thus, in 1882, the
display was exclusively European, although
we had clear skies, while in 1888 this CONT
nent alone enjoyed the exhibition. So, in
1899, a grand display was witnessed in
America. while in Europe few meteors on
ly attracted the notice of observers.
Shooting stars appear in the upper regions
of the atmosphere. They rarely descend be-
low height of thirty miles, and probably
do not appear at greater height than one
hundred and twenty five miles, They move
with great rapidity, having an average veoc-
ity of at least twenty-five miles a second.
nearly or quite one hundred times the ordi-
nary velocity of a cannon ball. In 1863 a
considerable number of the November metz
ors were observed simultaneously at the OBJ
servatory and Coast Survey Office in Wash
ington, and by Prot. Gummere. Mr.. Marsh
and Others, at Haverford. Pennsylvania and
Philadelphia. From these observations the
true heights OF between seventy and eighty
paths have been computed. The mean alti-
tude at appearance was ninety-six miles. and
at disappearance sixty-one miles, These re-
suits seem to show that the November mete-
ors are fifteen or twenty miles higher than
those of August.
It is generally admitted that shooting
stars are small bodies moving in orbits like
planets or comets, which encounter the earth
and are burned up, or are dissipated, in the
upper regions of the atmosphere. Groups of
such bodies moving together, in common
direction, produce the August and Novem-
Der exhibition.
The true November meters proceed in
lines radiating from the constellation Leo. or
more exactly from the sickle in Leo. This
radiation is due to perspective-the paths be-
ing all parallel to each other.
The following suggestions and questions
to be answered are to be directed to obser.
vers