The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-03-10

and IL was then found that this comet had
been seen bsfore by Caroline Herschel and
others, and path was assigned to it, having
8 period of six years and eight months.
p this .omet was in the first place re-
narkxple, because its path crossed the
earth's path, and indeed, on its next return,
in 1882, astronomers announced that that
comet would actually cross the earth's path,
and many thought that that meant that
there would be q collision, and great alarm
was excited. A member Of the sParis
Academy said il was imprudent for astrono-
mers to make such an announcement, for In
l77l announcements made in that way hac
frightened the people out OF their wits. IN
I77l, hundred years ago, ticket were offer
ed for sale purporting TO be reserved seats
in Paradise, and people actually bought
those tickets. Laughter. In 1912 they were
not quite so bad, but still they were much
frightened, and many unfortunate circum-
stances happened in France on account OF
that fact. They required to be told-and
then they were not comforted-that the
mere fact that the comet passed the path OF
the earth would not interfere with the earth
that the passage across the path of the earth
would not injure the path, for the path was
not a material thing. The people were
frightened, and they were not certain that
Astronomers had calculated the path so ex-
actly that there would be no collision. But
that passed away, and nothing more was
heard until 1916, and then the comet was
found travelling on its usual path, and TO the
great astonishment OF astronomers II was
announced that the comet had divided into
two parts, each having distinct head and
nucleus. 1t was noticed by Capt. Maury at
the observatory at Washington; but strange
ly enough, on the night when he OBJ
served the comet had doubled, the
records of the German observatory showed
the comet to be single, and it would appear
therefore, that the greater clearness of the
atmosphere in America had enabled him TO
recognize the change before it was noticed In
Europe. Two separate comets Travelled along,
side by side, and the strange circumstance
was noted that they interchanged light,
sometimes one ana sometimes the other was
brighter, as if there were communication
between them. They were kind OF Siam
csc twins. They passed into space, and as
trOnomers thought they could watch the
comets again and ascertain how they were
separated, but the comet was never seen
again. The year 1866 came around, and as
tronomers calculated the path of the comet.
They looked for it. They examined the path
over the heavens great distance on either
side, but failed TO recognize that comet i
told You that comet passed the path of the
earth, and there are other systems which
also cross the path of the earth 1t was sug-
gested the comet had encountered meteor
systems and split up, and was again and
| again split up, and so vanished. You will
see there was an important connection be
tween that and what we have learned
since about the comet s history. The
year 1872 came and that comet was again
looked for Other calculations were made AZ
to its path. 1t was looked for more careful.
ly, but in 1872 it was not seen. leave its
history for the time, presently to return tc
it.
CONNECTION OF METEoRs CwITH ONETs.
pass from these facts, wonderful as they
are, and introduce the subject of meteors
For long time meteors were looked on a:
phenomena of our atmosphere, but facts be
gan TO be observed which led to different
conclusion. One fact was that the meteors
occurred in showers on certain days. Take
for instance, the November 18th shower
What could it mean Why should shower
of meteors take place on November 18th.
There is no reason why meteors should show
| brightly on the 18th of November or any
special day, so far as the earth was concern
ed. But on November Is, the earth is pass
ing particular part of its course.
Professor Newton of Yale College notified
to the astronomers of Europe that there
would be great shower ofNovember mete-
ors in 1866 plainly visible both in Americs
| and Europe. In point of fact it was not wei
seen in America but in England, and w,
know the difference of time is only few
hours, so that you see how closely he mad,
his calculation.
PERIOD OF THE METEOR STREAMS.
AS to the period in which they travel thei
course, it is third of a century. That wa
the actual time when the last great display
took place. Arago being one of the astrono
mers who described it most closely, an,
aloll lNaI - ~ l.,
If they travel in their course, having a pc
riod of 33 years, we might account for the re
currence.
But this seems too immense These objects
a few grains in weight have been travelling
on such a course of 80 years, which woul,
correspond To a course carrying them ava,
outside Uranus, and that seemed to Professo
Newton too grand, and showed that if the
travelled a thirty third part of the year tn
same course that ourselves would follow, il
another year they would be a thirty -thir,
part behind, and the next year anothe
thirty-third part behind, and the third yea
another thirtythird part behind and so oil
to the end OF 30 years, they would be brough
to their place again.
But, meantime, strange fact had beer
discovered. The comet of 1862 was notice,
to pass That part of the earth's orbit CORES
ponding very closely with the course in whc
the August meteors seem to come from. an,
the comets, and supposing this to be true, j
) was possible to give the November meteor
a period of 80 years, which before seemed
incredible to astronomers, and they woul,
have such and such a course; and tina
being the case the astronomers thought the,
would look for comets in the paths of meteors
They found that comet had been observed
that very yeqr, 1866, travelling in that yery
course. There was another strange coinci
dence-a small comet was seen travelin,
over the course assigned TO these meteors
Professor Adams undertook to show tha
November meteors can have no other cours,
than thirty-three years. 1t had been noticed
that where the earth encoun cred those me
teors that part of the heavens had been slow
ly advancing in the direction the earth trav
els-the shifting of the nodes owing to Tn,
attraction of the celestial bodies-and Pro.
lessor Adams calculated whether the pertur
baton would be such if year and a thirty
third part were the trne neri0d of these me-