Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-10-31
Amateur Observations of The November
MeteOrS.

MeteOrS.
On the 18th and 18th days of Novem-
Der, the earth makes It's annual passage
through the second of the great meteor
belts which interesect it's orbit. The
thickness of this belt at its thickest part
is estimated by Prof Proctor at some
100000 miles, and it IS supposed that
the denser portion of the system Or
''gem of the meteor ring" contains at
least one hundred thousand million
meteors. These however, Herschel has
calculated to be extremely small, rarely
exceeding few ounces in weight. 1t
has further been determined that the
November meteors mostly radiate from
the constellation Leo, and the aphelion
ftheir 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 9 to IA, comedies with
the bright comet of 1862, and both Pet
ers and Schiparelli independently dis
covered some time ago that Temples
comet of 1S66-a body visible only with
the telescope-has elements which may
be regarded as absolutely Identical with
those of the November belt. 1t is not
definitely known, however, what con-
nection exists between the comets and
the meteors. though it appears that the
latter have paths as eccentric as those
of the cometic orbits, and hence it is
deduced that the earth encounters no
less than So meteor systems, thus af-
fording proof that the total number of
these systems in the universe must be
estimated by billions.
1t will readily be seen that Il knowl-
edge of the elements of the paths de-
scribed by the meteors is of considera-
bic astronomical Importance. While, as
already stated, the general direction or
radiation is from the constellation Leo,
it has been observed that often on the
same night many distinct centers of ra-
diation may be traced. 1t is by the de-
termination Of these centers that the
elements above referred to may be cal
culated. Then by comparing the re-
suits with the elements of the orbits of
known comets, it becomes possible to
discover which comets, by rupture, ac-
cording to one theory, probably gave
rise to the various groups of shooting
stars. Hence observations made with
the naked eye, which fix the exact point
IN the heavens whence the meteors APP
pear to radiate, may prove Of value.
1t is necessary first to note the region
Of the heavens whence the meteors APP
pear, and then to observe especially
those bodies which seem to have the
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 a pale light
something similar to the aurora, which
is often present about the radiating
point. 1t is also useful to note the color
and brilliancy of the meteors. The lat
ter may be estimated by comparison
with Jupiter and Venus, the brilliancy
of these planets being taken as the
maximum. If the meteors leave q trail
behind them, note the fact, and also
observe how long the trail remains Wis
IDLE after the star disappears, also
whether it has any backward motion.
A field glass may be advantageously
employed to recognize any special
peculiarities of the trail
These observation, if carefully made,
will be acceptable at any astronomical
observatory. Meteors also appear from
the 9th to the 29th of November, and
from the 9th to the 18th of December,
but not in such numbers as upon the
above mentioned dates.
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