Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-11-24
LARGEST OITY ARTICULATION.
Professor Newton. Of New Haven, on the
Celestial Display.


last Saturday morning was a very beau
tiiul and brilliant astronomic exhibition
As Professor Lyman was not well enough
TO make observations at the Scientific
School, a few of the students, merely for
their own qualification, watched the
heavens until two o'clock in the morn
ing, and made an imperfect count OF the
meieors that were 10 be seen. They
counted only 600. Professor Newton
with corps Of assistants, took observa-
tons from the top of the Alumni Build
ing, and succeeded 10 making quite a
satisfactory record OF what took place IN
the visible armament. They occupied
their places, ready for observation, soon
after eleven o'clock, but II was not until
after midnight that the earth reached
such a position that the meteors could be
seen. 1t was then found that the shower
was in full activity. How long 1t had
been in progress cannot be told
until full intelligence Is received from
those who made observations ut other
points on the globe. During the first
hour, from twelve to one, Professor New
ton and his assistants counted 767 me-
teors. The number increased through
the night, until dawn prevented their be-
ing seen, when nearly 1900 an hour were
counted. The shower was in full activity
when the daylight prevented further OPP
erations, and how much longer il lasted
cannot be known until those who took
observations further west shall report.
The total number counted was about
1000, and it is estimated that the number
=. he a. dur N ~
which She heavens were watched was
about 10000. The first meteor seen was
attwelve o'clock. The shower proceeded
from the usual place in Leo. Professor
Newton says, "the shower was in full &C.
ton as early as we could see it-that is,
at twelve O clock-and it showed no sign
of cessation even into the dawn. We
could see signseven in the strong twilight.
The increase of numbers toward morn
ing was due to the hight of the
radient. Last year there were
hardly any meteors, only for an hour or
two before sunrise, when they came pell-
nell. This year the Cow was very
steady and much longer. When it com.
menced or at what time it ended we can
not tell. As to individual meteors, they
were not quite as bright as last year, but,
owing to the absence of the moon, they
appeared much brighter. They seemed
more brilliant in the first hour than they
were afterward, because their course APP
preached the perpendicular, hiding their
trains. Last year there was a moon
when the shower took place. The largest
number counted in any five minutes was
Oh. A single individual counted in five
minutes sixty or seventy. One counted
seventy-eight. The average number
seen was not often more than ten
or eleven a minute by single per-
son. The color of the meteors was OF
greenish tinge. One had reddish ball
as it approached termination. As the
dawn approached, those that were seen
against the strong twilight had beauti-
full reddish color. There were some that
had red color in them, aud some with
rose and red colors, mixed with the
green. The nucleus was rather reddish.
The stream Of meteors was much broader
than when we cut through it last year
and the year before-at least two or three
times broader-but it was not SO thickly
filled as it was last year at the densest
part" We also learned that the stream
where we passed through it last year was
2OO00 miles wide, and where we cut
through this year it was at least 100000
miles wide, which accounts for the me-
teors not being thicker, and the shower,
so to speak, heavier.
1t is supposed, as we understand it,
that this group of meteors is led by
comet which passed the earth's orbit in
January, 1866, which occurrence many
will recoIlect who saw this flashing ball
of FIRE in the skies. In 1865 the meteors
were seen very much as they were FRI
day night. They were the advance guard
or picket line of the innumerabIe army.
The stream has now been passing our
orbit little over two years aud ten
months. 1t passes at the rate of twenty
five miles second, or between 800, 000,-
100000 and 900, 600, 000,0 900 of miles in
a year. The size of it may, perhaps, be
imagined from this. The shower in
1861 was very similar. We pass through
the stream, not straight across, but at an
angle.
Professor Newton thus speaks of some
of the more brilliant meteors that he saw:
SAT Just before FIVE o'clock star went
down to the left of Pleiades with a fash
that made every one look around. 1t
lighted up everything. The time 1t was
seen was at forty.fve minutes past four
o'clock. The train remained visible for
several minutes in this case. At sixteen
minstes after one o'clock a bright one
went down vertically, two degrees to the
right of Jupiter, leaving q bright train.
The upper part of the train toated to the
right and the lower to the left, forming a
letter s, which gradually elongated until
it assumed an entirely horizontal fern,
and it was still family visible when the
clock struck two. The cloudy train was 20
miles long at that time. As usual, the
upper and lower parts of the trains
curved so as to look like the letter s. In
some instances three, four and five were
visible at once. One gentleman saw sixty
that did not belong to the group. At
seven minutes past five there was a bright
star went down just south of Gemini.
The center part of the train hoated south,
and the upper and lower parts hosted
north. 1t was very beautiful. At twenty
minutes past twelve brilliant one passed
between Gamma, Pegssi aud Alpha An
dromeoG, nearly through our lebith. ~
made long train, which looked exceed
ingly brilliant. The whole train was
nearly forty degrees Iona"
The night was beautifully clear and
still, making the occasion one Of the most
admirable for taking observations.
The meteor which Professor Newton
saw at fifiy-seven minutes past four am,
Professor Twining, of Yale College, saw
IN New York, and by u comparison of
the two observations, Professor Newton
calculates that this meteor fell from a
hirht Of eirhir-fre 10 within sixty miles