The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-08-07
HEAVENLY FIREWORKS.

THE AUGUST EPOCH OF MErKoRs AND FIRE
BALIs-FoIMHR GREAT STAR SHOWERS.
The earth having fairly entered that portion Of ts
orbit round the during which It in contact
the first time this year withmetcoric showers may
look during the next few ngs for displays the
heavens OF fireworks magnificent scale 1t is true
that meteors appear in their grandcst aspect and in
greatest number every thirty-three years, but this
law, as determined by observation OF astronomers Is
not Interchangeable The phenomena occur to greater
loss extent twice every year. August and November.
The extraordinary weather Of last month. is
thought. may have had lasting influence the
atmosphere which affects entirely the combustble ma
ture Of the foreign bodies the earth this
time In its course round the Having before
referred to mecoric showers In general We
may now go into particulars Shooting stars arc
cvanescent mcteors, which dart across the sky in all
directions and generally leave behind them luminous
TRAINS visible seconds after the extinction OF the
brighter parts Fireballs very nearly OF the
nature, but explode with loud noise. Meteors arc
moro fully referred to below. In former times the
specaccs that will very likely be in the heavens
during the next few days regarded by uniformed
observers with superstition. They supposed TO
be preternatural types of familiar objects, such as
torches swords serpcnts dragons dageers stepped in
blood, bulls heads, flying eagles and other inonsrous
appearances, all presagng evil events, and later obser
vatons show that many of the figures presented by
shooting bear resemblance objects OF the
kind named.
MErEoRs CONSIDERED.
The origin OF mctcors was long without receiving
satisfactory explanation, that most generally accepted
being they were caused by the existence OF inam
matory gases the a.mosphe Tho ,gnis tatuus,
doubt produced in this way, for 1t has been found to
its ~ of r
Il person walking toward It. But the immense velocity
OF the mcicors that appear in August and November,
which about equal lwlcc that OF the earth
orDit, thirty miles IN second, and great
elevation ut which they become visible the average
ing sixty miles, indicate clearly that they OF
terrestrial but cosmical originthat Is they originate
from the interplanetary regions, innumcrable rag
ments OF heavenly bodies that have been shattered
to pieces travcrsng space and, being brought
themselves upon its surface Moving with the great
velocity mentioned through the higher regions OF the
AIR they become intensely heated by frc.
ton that they ignite or are nj least rendered
visible, and either converted into vapor or, when
very large explode and descend IL tho surface
a. mcleoric aerolites Professor Thomson VI
The British Association, says that thoy small
bodies which come INTO the oarths atmosphere. and
the instant they touch II their surfaces heated
yond point OF fusion even OF voatilization aud
the consequence that they speedily ami CON-
pctely burned down and reduced 10 impalpl bic
oxides The brilancy and color meteors are var-
uble somo bright as Venus or Jupiter. About
wo,hrds are white mo remainder yellow, orange or
green. The problem OF their origin must be regarded
as with that OF the asteroids, revolving
around the between the orbs OF Mars and Jupiter
and OF the planets themselves Some astronomers
consider their origin precisely the that OF the
COMETS which may be regarded US only moteors Of
THEIR REGULAR RECURRENCE
The singular regularity ana periodlciy in the
romeo OF the great manifestations Of meteors IN tue
months OF August and November, which has been
noted tor many years. and with low exceptions
rushing from particular points OF the heavens show
sl further that they cxlraneous bodies cncouu-
around the In order to explain tho occurrence
OF meteoric showers on the same days IN August and
November year 1t IS necessary suppose
number OF these bodies Is nconcevaby great that
they revolving round the sun IN orbits which inter
sect III the regions OF the eclipiic
through which pass those days. In addition the
TACT before stated, OF their diverging from liked
points among the starr and their great velocity
strongly favor the idea OF their foreign origin The
clements Of thor ORBITS correspond almost with tho
comets of 1862 and ls60-the November meteors
with the latter aud the August with
the former showing that the and
these meteors belong to the same rings In which they
move. 1t is probable that Bielas comet, in 1885,
others been divided and suo-dlvdcd, finally
to be separated into small fragments, moving in the
orbit OF tho original comet and thus constructing q
mcteorc stream.
Besides August and November there other
meteOric cpochs during the year, some established
with considerable certainty and others doubtiuy indi-
catsd. In this connection may be mentioned the large
brilliant body that became visible ms city
o'clock the evening of the 9th OF last month IL
its appearance IN the southern part OF tho
Sellntlon Aqulla ana disappeared In UfSa MaJOr IL
also visible at Newport and was noticed TO explode
point in Pennsylvania 100 miles north OF New
York 1t resemblcd u large rocket or Roman candle
and plunged ahead with great velocity.
RIA SHOWERS
The shower of 1899 awful and sublime beyond
description. 1t witnessed by Humboldt ut Cumana
In South America, and Is thus described -'Toward
the morning OF tho 18th OF November, 1890 We viii
messed most extraordinary scene OF shooting teors
Thousands OF boldes and falling stars succeeded each
other during the our hours. Thor direction very
regularly from north to south, and from the beginning
OF the phenomenon there not space the hrma
which filed every instant with bolides TALL
ing stars All the meteors LETT luminous traces or
phos phorescent bands behind them which lasted seven
eight seconds" The same phenomena seen
throughout nearly tho whole Of North America and
South America and in some parts OF Europe. The most
splendid display Of shooting stars Oh record that
OF November 13 1888 and Is especially interesting
having served to point out the periodicty IN
these phenomena. Over the northern portion Of tho
American continent the spectacle of The most
imposing grandeur and in many parts Of the
country the population terror stricken at the
fulness OF the scene. The slaves OF the Southern
States supposed the world fire, aud hlled the
air with shricks OF horror and for mercy. The
shower OF 1866 was anticipated with great interest,
and In New York and other places ARRANGEMENTS werc
made to announce the during the night Of
November IL by ringing the bells from the Dire
The display however not witnessed in this
try, but in England was quito brill ant, as many as
5000 meeors being counted at the Greenwich Obscrva-
tory Another shower OF less extent occurred 1867,
and record has been kept ut the Naval Observatory
Washington, OF the number OF shooting luminous
bodies that appeared in the months OF August and No
vcmber in each year since.