Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-11-09
The expected Metcoric Shower in No
ber-Intercsting Scientific Specu-
iatiOns.

The expected Meteoric shower in No
VembeT Interesting Scientific Specu-
latioHs.
Professor Ferguson, of the National Oh
seryatory in Washington Is making arrange
ments to take scientific observations on the
expected moteoric display In November next
The subject Of meteors and shooting stars
has engaged the attention Of eminent astron-
omers within the last century to a greater
extent than ever before among them Pro
fessOrs Olmstead, Twining and Newton have
written valuable papers IN connection with
it.
The appearance of shooting stars il quite
common, but in the months Of August and
November Of each year, they are seen in
greater numbers generally about the 10th
of August and the 18th Of November The
great Meteoric shower of 1899 seems TO
have drawn the attention Of astronomers
more particularly to this subject, and from
that time to the recurrence Of the meteoric
shower in 1888, and up to the present day
they have been endeavoring to refer the
different phases and characteristics to the
phenomenon to known laws, and to estab-
lish the exact anniversary ofits appearance.
Thus far the more brilliant Of these me-
teoric showers have occurred at intervals of
thirty three years that of 1868 was espe-
cially distinguished by the immense number
of moving meteors to be seen at once, and
for the remarkable size and splendor Of ma
ny of them. Among the many myriads of
blazing meteors visible on that occasion, one
was seen at several places on this continent
1t was recognized by several observers by its
extraordinary size and brillancy, as well as
by the length of time its train remained
visible, which was about ten minutes The
luminous train seemed to follow the meteor
in serpentine course, and finally disappear
ed in a vast nebulus cloud, many times lar
ger than the moon, and which continued to
move onward with a velocity greater than
the clouds.
The meteoric displays of 1899 and 1888
were characterized by the fall Of meteorites,
which rushing towards the surface of the
earth with a loud noise, penetrated beneath
it several feet The periodicity Of these
starry showers is not so definitely ascertain
cd with regard to the day as to the year.
They have occurred to greater or less
degree in the months cf August and No
venber, from 1888 to 1899, but the most
remarkable Of them have appeared on the
18th of November, or between that date and
the l4th
The next appearance of the meteoric
phenomenon, therefore, is expected on or
about the 18th of next month The obscr-
vatlons Of the astronomers have demonstra-
ted that the shooting stars are more numer-
Gus between midnight and sunrise, aud the
majority Of them agree in fixing the radiant
point-that point in which the lines desert
bed by the meteors in their lines center-in
the constellation of Leo, limiting the arena of
radiation to the Immediate vicinity OF Regu-
las in the neck OF the lion. Others assign
the radiant point to the constellation Orion
The theory most generally accepted in
accounting for the regular recurrence of me
teoric showers is, that an unusual aggrega
tion Of these 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, although obs. rva-
tions have not been sufficiently numerous to
establish the exact period of the earth
arrival at this part Of its orbit During the
fight of meteOrs in November 1888, much
apprehension was manifested from the fear
that one or more of these asteroids would
come into collision with the earth but
hitherto no disastrous consequence ces have
ensued from this grand celestial display, and
although there is some reason to believe
that an event of this kind is possible, scien-
tific men unite in the opinion that such a
calamity is not within the bounds of proba-
bility.