Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-18
THE HEAVENLY WANDERERS.
Theory About the Formation of Comets
and Meteors


MeteOrites, meteor streams and comets,
according to a new but apparently we'll
reasoned theory, are to be accounted
products Of expulsion from suns, from
giant planets, and from orbs like our
earth when in the sunlike state" Album
dant evidence, it is held. is at hand to
prove that it is in the nature Of all comets
to have trains of meteors, and Of all me-
teor streams to be associated With comets
actually existing or dissipated. For eX-
ample, on Nov. y, 1872, the meteors fol-
lowing after Biela's comet were seen in
tens of thousands, as predicted, A few
were seen in 1879 on Nov. y, and Nov.
p, 1889, the predicted display OF meteOrs
took place and was witnessed all over
Europe. In each of these years when the
earth passed through the comets track
evidence was obtained from the show Of
falling stars that along that track me-
teOrs in flights OF many millions were
travelling behind the parent comet.
That they were associated with
Biela's comet is to be inferred not alone
from the exact coincidence in point
OF time OF their manifestation, but rather
o the fact that they were travelling in the
exact line of Its orbit, out OF millions of
possible directions. Assuming that what
mas been proved about comets generally
systems, aud that what has been proved
about meteors throws light upon the
nature Of comets, some results Of a strik-
ing character may be deduced. II has
been found from examination of
meteOrites that have fallen upon the
earth that they are practically identical
with volcanic products. MI. Ball, the
astronomer royal for Ireland, admitting
the volcanic character of meteorltes, ar
a mr. & nj W. oil nri To-
inally from volcanoes of this very earth
Oh which we live. Every mass, he shows,
great or small, elected from the earth by
volcanic action with a velocity exceeding
seven miles per second, would pass
beyond the earth's control and
enter upon path thenceforth
carrying it around the sun.
but crossing the earth's track at or near
the point where the election took place.
But for perturbations due to the attrac-
tion of various heavenly bodies, the cross
ing place would always be at that very
point. Every meteoric mass elected IS
therefore exposed to the risk OF recapture
by the parent earth. On the other hand,
the chance that meteor elected from
any other planet would fail on the
earth would be infnitesimally small. The
period of the earth's activity in produc-
Ing comets and meteor streams is of
course very remote. Nothing in the pres
ent action Of our volcanoes would suggest
an eruptive power capable Of ejecting
matter with a velocity of seven miles per
second. There is abundant evidence,
however, that the earth was once in
state resem bling closely the present con-
dition of the sun, and what the earth did
in its sun-like youth must be inferred from
the present behavior OF the centre
of the solar system. The sun. being
327, 600 times as massive as the earth, at
tracts bodies on its surface with vastly
greater force, and would therefore need to
give to meteor TO be hurled beyond it's
control a velocity OF $50 miles per second.
Yet, as the SUMS strength OF election is,
like Its attractive force, prOportioned to
its mass, 1t can hardly be pronounced i'm
possible for that body to hurl meteOric
matter into space with velocity
of $50 miles per second. In
fact, on turning the telescope to
the sun, we lind him performing prodi-
gies even greater. He has been over and
over observed in the act of ejeoting bodies
from his interior with such velocities that
not even his mighty attractive power can
bring them back again. In one such out
burst velocities of $50 miles per second at
his visible surface were indicated, which
would leave a margin Of Is miles per sec
ond more than is required 10 take elected
matter beyond ms control. II the
sun does this now, other heavenly
bodies aud the earth itself, when in the
sun-like state, must have done likewise,
giving origin thus to lnnumerable fami-
lies OF comets, meteor streams and isO-
lated meteOrs. Conhrmatory OF this view
is the fact that certain comets and me-
teor systems are associated with certain
planets The meteOrs Of Nov. a.. for eX-
ample, follow in the track OF Temples
comet, which passes very near the
orbit Of Uranus, and the meteOrs
OF Nov. y follow the track
of Biela's comet, which passes very near
the orbit OF Jupiter. Long before the sig
nincance OF the phenomena WAS noticed
Mir. Proctor wrote Of "the comet families
al the giant planets" as a topic Tor inves-
tigutiOn. These comet families travel
around the sun as their ruling centre,
but iu paths passing near, seVerally, 10
the track OF Jupiter, saturn, Uranus or
Neptune. Tine resemblance between this
pecuiinrity and the intersection OF the
eattn's meteor streams with the carth's
orbit is too striking to be insisted ON.
This theory Of the volcanic origin
OF comets and mcteOIs-iOr comets and
meteors are probably always associated F.
~ strengthened, 10 may be added. by
chemical and microscopic examination OF
meteOritcs. IL Is though, 20 have been
cOnclusiyely established that they once
existed in the form 81 clouds Of gl0bules
az .iOlten metal, and thar the atmosphere
In which they were f0rm WAS largely