The New York herald., 1871-11-11
ASTRONOMICAL.
The Annual November Mctcors-L0ok Out
for Them MOndny Night Ncx,.

(From the Providence Journal, Nov. lo.l
looked for about TINS time-between the iotn an d
l4th or the present month. There Is no reason 10
anticipate amy special display but \ the clear at,
behold Tor q lew nights past continues to give us
equally favorable conditions we Shall probably see
o goodly show OF these shining vl5itants from an
other sphere Perhaps no subject OF astronomical
research Is invested with greater interest at the
present time than Lnat which relates TO comets anu
metcors.
few facts seem to be clearly established In the
history Of the November meteOrs They have u
period OF thirlythree years. revolving in an exceed
lngly eccentric orbit coming when nearest the sun,
within that OF the earth, and extending Tar out III
space beyond the planet Uranus, when at the great
est distance from the sun. Tnis great hoop or zone
varies IN depth and c0mpactness In its course, the
stream sometimes measuring depth Indicated by
hundreds OF thousands OF miles anu at others dwin
ding TO dimensions indicated by tens OF thousands.
The ear IN crosses this stream In November oil eaCn
year. and we have display Of shooting stars de-
pending upon It's extent aud comractness. once III
thlrty-thrce years the earth passes through tho
richest portion OF the stream, and we have grand
show. The last period occurred In 1866; the next
will occur IN 1899.
Astronomers have recently discovered that a tcle.
scOplc comet Is associated with the meteors moving
n the same orbit and corresponding In every par
iicuar with the ascertained facts IN their history
Tns comet was introduced into the neghborhood
OF lie sun more than q thousand years ago by the
attraction OF the planet Uranus; ever since lneteOr5
and comets nave continued to revolve In their new
orbit and Will continue TO revOlve I'LL some
more powerful attraction bends Their course IN a
new direction. The velocity with which these
that they penetrate the upper regions OF the atmo5
phere with the inconceivaDe speed OF forty miles q
second. The depth OF the stream can also be meas
ured at any part the earth may cross. In 1867 1t
900 miles; In 1865 IL was not less than 500 900
miles. the meteors appear, as we look AZ them, to
radlate from point In the constellation Leo, which
Is, therefore, called the 'radiant pointn and tue
meteOrs are named for this reason Leonldes
Tnus far we are dealing with facts III the history
OF meteors, but Tor the more recent theory OF their
idenlty with comets, shining by concussion, and
reelected by sunshine, We must walt Tor more hight
before we look upon the SUBJECT as any thing but an
ingenious hypothesis.
II will be remembered that there was an unusual
exhibition of August meteors. Not many were OBJ.
served on American soil, but French observation,
which was systematic and thorough, gave the re-
corded paths OF hundreds aud thousands seen at
different stations, and an aggregate OF 10000.
The best time n observation Is about three
O'Clock IN the morning for the constellation Leo Is
then in the east and In good position for sight
seeing. We looked carefully for tho tiny vlsitants
on the morning OF the 0th, but not solitary de-
scending star rewarded our watch, though the at
mosphere was superby clear, and the waning moon
did give sufficient light to obscure the falntest
straggcr OF the shining brotherhood.