Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-22
NOVEMBER METEORS.
A Sfnr Shower Predicted About Mo-
vember 2sth-A Fine Display Elk.
peCteG-A Paper by Prof. Proctor.

MtltOTlC lium WuuCu WE
make the following extracts:
THE PREDICTIONS.
1t is expected by nearly all the astronomers
who have given attention to the subject that
there Will be display Of falling stars on or
about November q next, though the night of
the shower may perhaps fall earlier or later.
within week or SO either way. The display,
should it occur. will possess far more interest
than any ordinary shower OF shooting stars or
even than the displays that have been witnessed
on the night OF November 1Sl4, In 1893, 1888,
that when these showers of Leonides (as tb
meteors OF November 1918 are called occrr,
comet which is followed by uncounted millions
OF meteors, and the like when on the nights Of
August 10, II and IL, the meteors called Per-
seids are seen, yet the comets corresponding to
these longer known meteoric showers are less
interesting to astronomers than the comet along
whose track those bodies travel which produce
the shower of falling stars seen on the night of
November q, 1872. and which are expected to
produce similar display this year. 1t was well
remarked by Nj. o. Strive. at the last meeting
of the German Astronomical Society, that no
object has thrown more light on the general
nature Of the cometic bodies than the comet
known as Bielas. propose now to give a brief
sketch of the history Of this interesting body,
and then to consider the reason why aSirono-
mers expect that during the last week in No.
Vember, 1879, lheTe VIII De a display OF shooting
stars as the earth passes through the comets
track.
BIEI.A's COMET.
In the year 1926 Biela discovered a comet, the
path OF which was calculated by Gambart a
French astronomer, inSomuch that, according
TO the usual rule in such cases, the comet should
be called Gambart's, not BielaS. 1t was found
to revolve around the sun in period OF about
six and tWo-third years. 1t was hot a cOnSpic-
uous bOdy-in fact, it has seldom been much
more than barely visible under the most favor
able conditions by the naked eyes. Yet it dit
tered from most telescope comets In showing
not only nucleus and coma, but a tail also.
In 1882 1889 and 1916 this comet returned to the
earth's neighborhood, and on two of these occa-
| SionS it was well seen. In 1889 it was so stu
ated as to be lost in the suns rays. In fact, at
every third return astronomers knew that it
| would be hopeless to search for the comet.
Thus, it was discovered in 1926 and well seen In
| 1882, but not seen and not even looked for In
1889. SO again it was seen In 1916 In its calcu-
lated place and again in 1882; but it was not
looked form 1859. In 1866 and 1872 it should have
been visible, but, as will presently be explained
| more fully, it was not seen: In thfS present
! year-1S19-suppoSing all had gone on as In the
| 40 preceding years, the comet would not have
| been visible, passing too near the suns place in
| the sky. Astronomers have been set to search
| for it this year (but quite frutleSSly), because
there were reasons to believe that il seen at all
| the comet would not be seen on its former
| track. But we must not pass to this part OF the
| comets history until the strange circumstances
connected with former returns and with former
expected returns OF the comet to visibility have
| been briefly considered.
| Prof. Proctor then goes on to tell of the divi-
| sion OF Bella comet in 1916 into two distinct
| comets and which were seen again in 1852. In
| 1866 the comet should have been seen as favora-
| bly, as in 1916, but although it was carefully
| searched for, it was not seen, and something
| must have happened to it since 1852. How Biela'S
| comet actually came to be divided into two dis
tinct bodies, and later to be so far disSipated
| TO be no longer visible even in the most power
| full telescopes and under the most favorable cir
| cumstanceS, will probably be understood when
We know the nature of those processes of repu-
sion, which lead to the formation of comets tails
| For our present purpose it is only necessary to
| observe that these processes OF repdlsion do
most obviously carry away parts of the SUBJ
| stance Of a comets head to enormous distances
| and that in some way Biela'S comet was divided,
| even as 1t were under the eyes OF the aStronO-
mers into two distinct COMETS for we thus learn
to recognize the further disintegration OF the
| comet as part of a process undoubtedly COM
| menced In 1916, and Undoubtedly competent to
effect the dissipation of the comets substance.
AS the comet was searched for IN vain in 1866 in
the region which unquestionably it would have
traversed had it remained unchanged, there can
be no reason for doubling that IL had thus been
thoroughly diSSipated and diSiutegrated. II
anything could have made this more certain, 1t
would have been The circumstance that in 1872,
Also the comet was searched for in vain.
| ITS TRACK ACROSS THE EARTH'S PATH.
If the comet had been like most of its fellows,
astronomers must have given up all idea OF oO-
tanning further information respecting it. But
In one important respect it differed from them,
1t is one OF the few known comets whose paths
cross, or at least pass very close to- the track OF
the earth. Already in 1892 attention had been
ca led to this circumstance. Indeed. fears had
been excited among those unfamiliar with as
Economical relations by the announcement that
|
year, although it was explained that the comet
would pass month before the earth reached
that point OF her path. 1--WE escaped that time, "
Sir John Hersche wrote in 1865. Had meet
ing taken place. from what we know OF comets,
it is probable that no harm would have hap
pened. and that nobody would have known any
| thing about it." But from what we have since
learned we have reasen to believe that we should
have known great deal about the encounter
though 1t remains altogether probable that
no harm would have happened. For we
| have learned that n rule the tracks of comets
are followed by millions OF meteoric bodies
which, as the earth passes through the flight
| produce displays of falling stars, each meteor In
It's rush through the earths atmosphere pro
ducing trail or streak of light; and doubtless
in the head itself OF a comet meteOric bodies are
much more richly strewn, so that an encounter
with the head would produce an unusually
splendid display OF falling stars. Its, however,
very noteworthy, as will presently appear more
clearly that no display OF IN, meteors is recorded
Der, 1882, though the comet had crossed the
earth's track less than month before. Yet 10
1872 astronomers were led TO expect somewhat
OF Btela's comet, which had gone that way only
some ten or twelve weeks before, there would
be a shower OF falling stars produced by the
bodies following in the comets path.
| THE RADIANT POINT.
Then Mr.. Proctor goes on to show that it is
the train OF the comet which Is followed by
meteoric attendants. He then passes on to show
how 1t can be definitely proven what particular
meteor stream the earth is passing through at a
certain time and in discussing WHIT is the ra-
d1ant point of meteor system says: Ut Is In
reality that Infinitely remote point from which
all the meteorS seem to be traveling-the point
toward which all the parallel lines on which
they are actually travelling seem to converge
| No meteor, then, approaching the earth on the
| course thus Indicated could possibly seem to
| move actually from the radiant point. If NOV
| Ing directly toward the observer 1t would be
| visible at the radiant point all the time, not
| seeming to move from it; If not moving directly
| toward the observer, but ON a course parallel to
that from the radiant point to the observer, it
would be seen, from the beginning to the end of
| It's flight, at points removed from the radiant
| but all on line tending from it. Thus tae
| actual path pursued by meteor may be on one
| side OF the heavenly sphere, while the radiant
Is on the other; precisely as any particular yard
| OF a set OF parallel railway lines and telegraph
wires may be to the right or to the left or above
| or below, Or may be behind an observer, while
the point from which all these lines converge is
| in front of him.
| In speaking OF the display of 1872, Mr.. Proc
| tor says: In 1872, Biela'S comet itself having
| been searched for fruitleSSly, several aStrono-
mefS called attention to the circumstance that
| in the last week OF November the earth might
| be expected to pass through train OF meteors
| following in the track OF the now dsintegrated
comet. They showed also how Biela meteors
If such existed could be distinguished from
other shooting stars: the radiant point CORE
spending to attendants on Bielas comet lying