Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-09-21

forth from one spot, which is called the
radiant point. A little consideration
will show that this appearance is due
to prospective, and represents the van.
ishins point of the parallel courses in
which the meteors are moving. Hence
we learn that they all belong to an
enormous swarm of these bodies
which the earth is meeting; and, fur
ther, it is possible to find the direc-
ton in which the swarm is moving
relatively to the earth. Now, the re-
searches Of Oilers, H. A. Newton
and Adams showed that the Ncvem-
Der meteors really form planetary
swarm, revolving around the sun in
about thirty-three and quarter years.
Then the investigations of Schiapareli.
Leverrier and Oppolzer brought out
the astonishing result that the path
of the November meteors is really
identical with that Of comet discoy-
cred by Tempel in 1865. Schiapareli
showed further that another indepen-
dent group of meteors which appear in
August has an orbit identical with the
third comet of 1862. We are thus led
to see the close physical connection
and oneness OF origin, if not, indeed,
identity of nature, of comets and these
meteor swarms. Now the meteors be-
longing to these swarms are for the
most part too minute to pass un-
scathed through the fiery ordeal
of ignition by our atmosphere;
most happily they do not bonn
bard us with an incessant Cat
ling discharge of meteoric stones.
but are burned before they
reach the earth. All other times
small celestial masses do come down
to us, which there can be little doubt
are of the same order of bodies and
similar in chemical nature. In these
meteorites, which we can handle and
ana!yze at our leisure, we possess prob
ably good examples of the sort of
stuff Of which the nuclei of comets
are composed. The question now
arises: How far are the revelations of
the speCtrosCope about comets in hsr.
mony with what we know of the
chemical nature of these celestial
waits and strays? Meteorities may be
arranged in long series, passing from
metallic iron alleged with uickle At one
extremity, to those of stony nature,
chiefly sillcates, at the other. In me-
teorltes more Than twenty of the ter
restrlal elements have been found, in
GLIDING hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen,
which the spectroscope has shown to
be in comets. Here difficulty pre-
sents itself; if the meteoric mat
ter itself were discomposed, We
should expect to have a more compli-
Gated spectrum from the light of COM
cts. 1t may be that in ordinary comet
airy phenomena we have not TO do
with the breaking up of the metoric
matter which forms the comets
nucleus. In the year 1867 Professor
Graham extracted from meteorite the
gas it had brought down to us from
celestial space. This meteorite was of
the iron type and yielded nearly three
times It's volume of gas, of which So
per cent, was hydrogen, 5 per cent.
carbonic oxide, and 10 per cent. nitro
gen. Since that time Professor Wright
has experimental with meteorite of
the stony type, but containing small
grains of metallic iron. This meteorite
yielded similar gas, but in different
proportions, there being larger
vi Viz OAlue OI CARBON,
when at a low temperature carbon
dioxide was chiefly given off. Now, in
all these cases spectrum similar to
that of comets would be given by these
gases under suitable conditions. Some
years ago the writer, in conjunction
with Professor Nevil Story Mask elyne,
examined the spectra of certain mete-
orites, and obtained in several cases a
spectrum similar to thai of comets,
Some meteorites, like that from Bokk-
veidt, contains large per centsge of
hydrocarbons. Professor H. c. Voee
has recently experimental in the same
direction, and finds that the gas which
comes off from the meteorite he used
gives a hydrocarbon spectrum mixed
with that Of carbonic oxide, and under
certain conditions the spectrum of the
hydrocarbon predominates, and as
sumes u character exactly similar to
the bright comet of last year. William
Higgins, IN the Nineteenth Century.