The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1866-01-03

which year the number has progressively
risen.
In observing these increased numbers
continually occur at the same times, it must
be admitted that the earth, carried along in
space, meets at the same points masses Of
corpuscles, disseminated in the planetary
space, and on this an ingenious hypothesis
has been made. Il is supposed that these
asteroids are distributed upon an immense
ring, of which the sun is the center, along
which they follow one another, each one
accomplishing individually, like little
planet, regular revolution around the sun.
The earth passes through this great mass on
the 10th of August, and then all the cor
puscles passing near US will be seen circu-
lating in our atmosphere. A circumstance
not yet perfectly determined, but generally
believed by all the observers, increases the
rismilitude of this hypothesis; that u.s..
that on the 10th Of August the greater part
Of the shooting stars seem to come from the
same point in the sky, either Cassiopea,
Cepheus, or the ram. According TO one in
vestigator, this great ring Of corpuscles has
a diameter nearly equal to that Of the ter
restrial orbit toward which it inclines at
an angle Of go. It is from 4,6OO, 600 to
1900, 900 miles in thickness, and is COM
posed of 1900 millions Of corpuscles, re-
volving around the sun in 28l days. Sup
| posing that each of them was 81 feet in Cir
conference, and that they were united to-
gether in a single sphere, it would hardly
| ave tenth Of the size Of the earth.
/ The tra;ectories of meteors have been
| calculated, and it has been proved that these
/ fiery globes describe hyperboas. A meteor
/ that burst over the North Sea in March,
4 1n,, az ND 1 hop
! a hyperbolic trajectory, with initial and
| final heights of 1913 and IA miles, and We
/ locity Of Co. 1t is certain in all these cases
that have been studied that the appearances
are caused by true asteroids coming from
celestial spaces, which enter the atmosphere,
where they describe hyperbolas, and are
carried with a velocity comparable to the
planets themselves.
By the aid of the electric telegraph the
trajectories Of shooting stars have been cal
culated, and it is proved that they are, ex-
cept in size, veritable meteors, hurled into
space at the rate of many thousands of miles
second, and inflaming in the atmosphere
] When one of these masses, travelling with
its immense velocity, meets the atmosphere
1t encounters a resistance that diminishes its
speed--a resistance which. on account Of
I
| very considerable, and would almost COM
pletely destroy. after ten seconds, the move
ment Of q ball having an initial velocity Of
sixty-two miles per second. Assuming that
meteor has lost only hundredth part Of
its velocity through this cause, il must have
created an amount of heat that can be
i accurately calculated, which is employed in
j warming either the meteor or its surround
1 ing air. But this is sufficient to raise the
| temperature $4,000 deg, supposing that it
is not ditfused by radiation, and 5000 deg.
/ only if it assumed to have escaped as soon
as produced. The real increase Of temper
ature is therefore comprised between 5000
deg. and $1,000 deg, and is far beyond
what can be artifcially produced. Under
these conditions the meteor melts, and its
surface is covered with that CLASSY varnish
characteristic of aerolites. Not only does ii
melt, but at 5000 deg. iron and carbon
burn, casting out sparks, and oil known
substances are reduced to incandescent
vapors.
If of small size, as is usually the case,
the stone is entirely consumed; shooting
star is seen which becomes smoke, and al
is over. When it is larger. il lasts longe,
and has a more extended course. 1t drives
before it the beds OF air it meets, which are
heated by compression, aud becomes mean.
descent. For contrary reason vacuum
is left behind where the anterior air rushes
passing over the surface of the meteor
which is enveloped in an atmosphere OF
| igncous vapor. The circumstance deserves
consideration, for it removes much appre-
hension. We are not illuminated by the
solid mass, but by the fiery atmosphere of
/ the meteor; this i. is that attains such
great dimensions, while the hidden kernel
is incomparably smaller. This atmosphere
appears menacing, but it is lost as
soon as the velocity of the meteor
diminishes. Thus it is that history has had
no catastrophe to chronicle, and why the
! fragments are almost always small
| As the meteor congresses the air, this
resists, and by reaction presses on its ante
rior face. An investigation Of hurricanes
will give an approximate valuation Of this
| force. At their highest point they attain q
velocity of l3l feet per second, with pres
sure OF Al pounds per square foot. The
pressure would be the same if meteorite a
foot square were thrown with equal velocity
into motionless air; but if, instead Of q
velocity Of l3l feet, it has one Of l31, 200,
the pressure increases in an enormous pro-
portions at height of 5000 feet it is
/ equal TO 700 mospheres-apressure which
only iron can resist without being crushed
But these conditions being similar to those
undergone by the meteor of the 14th of
May, this must have sustained compara-
| bic pressure, and consequently have sudden
lly flown into pieces, like stone thrown
against wall. AT the moment of this dis
ruption the flaming atmosphere disap-
reared. and one could touch with his finger
| tho so stones, weighing about 20 pounds,
that had caused this great uproar. But
small as they are, they are fraught with
precious information; they bring us the
substances that compose the stars. and
show that to its ultimate bounds the Iuate-
rial world is composed Of substances similar
to those found on earth. They contain the
metals that kirchhof discovered in the sun,
together with carbon, ammonia, and chic
| rum, which escaped the spectral analysis.
1t is known that the temperature dimin-
ishes according to the distance from the
ground, and that it must be very low in
celestial spaces-how low can be ascertained
from the aerolites. Some are almost en-
tirely composed Of iron--a good conductor:
and the enormous heat that has melted the
surface thus passing inward. they reach the
earth resembling red-hot shot. But this
does not hold good for aerolites composed of
earthly substances. through whose mass heat
Is slowly transmitted: the surface alone is
warmed during their very short passage
through the atmosphere, aud the cold that
they retain internally returns to the surface
after they fall Thus, stones that fell re-
Gently in the Punianb chilled the hands Of
the persons who attempted to pick them up.