The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-08-24
The Earth in the Meteor Streams.

The earth is now in the great meteor
stream which has OF late years excited
so much astronomic inquiry. On the
10th Of August We approached belt OF
meteors which exceeded in number and
splendor those OF the November period,
but, unlike the latter, ia not directly
crossed. The harbinger OF the August
stream was seen on the night OF the %,
in q magnificent meteor OF dazzling
brilliance. In 1867 one OF the most
astonishing meteoric displays was con.
nected with the first comet Of 1866, and
since that time the scientific minds OF
the day have settled down upon the
conviction that the comets belong to
the meteor system. The established
identity OF some cometary orbits and
meteors appears to entitle this to the
dignity Of actual discovery. II this be
admitted, the August meteors were OF
surprising number and beauty. The
November showers, brilliant as they are,
have been associated with comet OF
insignificant Dimensions, while those
OF August have been referred to comet
Of extraordinary size. The inference
drawn by astronomers, therefore, is
that during the autumnal display We
arc passing through n small meteoric
system, but in August We verge only on
the border Of very much larger sys.
TEN, and only see its outliers.
The popular apprehension felt in
former ages from the approach OF the
brighter comets has not been entirely
lacking, when il was known that the
earth was about to intersect the great
meteoric streams. The enormous size
of some iUrolites, shot from space into
tho enrth's atmosphere, aud penetrating
occasionally to its crust, has invested
tho meteoric shower with an interest
sometimes coupled with alarm. The
celestial rocket may be very engaging
to the eye, but il is not pleasant to
think Of the blazing mass, sometimes
OF almost asteroidal size and OF several
tons weight, within few miles, falling
earthward with velocity fifty times
that OF railway train. There is no
doubt, however, that the resistance OF
our atmosphere develops sufficient heat
by friction to fuse and vaporize the
shooting star, so that II reaches the
earth in dissipated form. The mum.
Der OF solid iorolites actually striking
the earth with violence and peril to man
is very small. In England only twenty
arc recorded, and this is n very small
proportion, considering that every year
our planet lntersects or graSes more
than hundred OF these densely crowded
meteor streams. Out OF tile twenty
British prolites, only four fell during
the month Of August, their descent 90.
curing between the 4th and 9th days.
The only cause for apprehension has
been the earth's attraction, and il has
been supposed this was influential in
drawing these flying masses toward us.
But astronomers have conclusiyely dis.
posed Of such hypothesis, since the
solar attraction is proved all.controlling
within the vast domain Of the solar sys.
tenn. The meteoric families sweeping
through space, in obedience to solar az.
traction, rush by the points where their
track Is closest 10 the earth's orbit as
unchecked as the express train by q
village station. As great q itronomer
tells US, such q meteoric body coming,
from the stellar depths toward the sun,
could no moro be tnrned aside by the
earth's attraction than railway train
could be caused to leave tho rails by
tho attraction Of toy magnet.