Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-11-15
The HERALD.
Amatuer Observations of Meteors.

On the 18Th and 14th days of No
vember, the earth makes its annua
passage through the second of the
great meteor belts which intersect its
orbit. The thickness of this belt al
its thiekest part is estimated by Prof
Proctor at some 10000 miles, and il
is supposed that the denser portion Of
the system or ''gem of the meteor
ring" contains at least one hundred
thousand meteors. These, however
Herschel has calculated to be ex-
tremely small, rarely exceeding ew
ounces in weight. Tt has further
been determined that the November
meteors mostly radiate from the con-
stellation Leo, ard the aphelion OF
their orbit is somewhat beyond the
planet Uranus.
Late Investigations have pointed to
the identity of the orbit of some of
the comets with the orbits of different
groups of meteors. The path of the
meteors, for example, which are
usually seen from August to IA, CO
incides with that of the bright comet
of 1862. and both Peters and Schipa-
relli, independently discovered some
time ago that Temples comet of 1866
"a body visible only with the tele-
scope-has elements which may be
regarded as absolutely identiele with
those of the November belt. 1t is
not definitely known however, what
connection exists between the comets
and the meteors, though it appears
that the latter have paths as eccen-
trio as those of the cometic orbits,
and hence it is deduced that the earth
encounters no less than hfty-six me-
teor systems, thus affording proof
that the total number of these sys-
TENS in the universe must be esti-
mated by millions.
1t will readily be seen that a knowl-
edge of the elements of the paths de-
scribed by the meteors is of consider
able astronomical importance. While,
as already stated, the general direc-
ton or radiation is from the constel.
lation Leo, it has been observed that
often on the same night many dis
tinct centers of radiation may be
traced. 1t is by the determination of
these centers that the elements above
referred to may be calculated. Then
by comparing the results with the ell
ements of the orbits of known comets
it becomes possible to discover which
comets, by rupture, according to one
theory, probably gave rise to the va
rious groups of shooting stars. Hence
observations made with the naked
eye, which fixed the exact point in
the heavens whence the meteors ap
pear to radiate, may prove of value
1t is necessary first to note the re-
gion of the heavens whence the mete-
ors appear, and then to observe spec
tally those bodies which seem to have
the shortest trajectories. These will,
of course, be the ones nearest the
center of radiation. and in this way
the location of the latter can be quite
accurately determined. Look also
for pale light something similar to
the aurora, which is often present
about the radiating point. 1t is also
useful to note the color and brilliaucy
of the meteors. The latter may be
estimated by comparison with Jup-
ter and Venus, the brilliancy of these
planets being taken as the maximum
If the meteors leave trail behind
them, note the fact, and also observe
how long the trail remains visible af
ter the star disappears, also whether
it has any backward motion. A field
glass may be advantageously en-
ployed to recognize any special pc
culiarities of the trail. These obser-
vations, if carefully made, will be ac-
ceptable at any astronomical obser-
vatory. Meteors also appear from
the 9th to the goth of November,
and from the 9th to 18th of Decem-
Der, but not in such numbers as upon
the above mentioned dates.-Scien-
tifc american.