The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10
SHOOTING STARS.
THE SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION
OF IETEORIC SHOWERS.
Some Rare and Historical Celestial
Phenomena-The Wonderful
Relationship Between
Comets and Meteors.

COl1eC3 anu uclSOTS.
There are few persons who have not
witnessed the striking phenomena of
the so called shooting stars" They
are visible any clear night, and with a
little patient observation several may be
seen during an evening. Flashing out
in various quarters of the heavens, they
are seen to dart across the sky, with
motions more or less rapid, and with
brilliancy more or less marked, some
down toward mother EARTH others across
the starry arch, leaving behind them
phosphoresceut glow generally visible
only for a moment. Larger meteors
land the term at this stage can only be
used in expressing their size by their
light often leave behind them very
marked glow, much like faint cloud.
and which when the meteor's flight is
thus marked, usually remains suspended
in the sky for some considerable time.
The writer saw such meteor on the
night of August 9, 1888, which left in
its path a greenish glow, visible to the
naked eye for fully twenty minutes.
Such occurrences are rare, however, and
few are witnessed in lifetime. In
stances are on record of meteoric showers
visible in broad daylight, and well-at-
tested statements have been made of
single meteors of great size seen to fall
in various parts of the country between
sunrise and sunset.
Meteoric showers have in numerous
instances been so marvellous that the fall
presented an appearance like that of o
light fall of illuminated snow. One of
the earliest of recorded phenomena of
this character, and which is we'll at
tested, was witnessed by Humboldt and
Bonpland early on the morning Of
November 12, 1899, during their visit to
the east coast of Mexico. Another we'll
attested statement is that of Arago, the
we'll known astronomer, who on the
night of November 12, 1888 land here note
that both occurred on the same day of
the same month, and divided by space
of thirty-four years., witnessed such a
marvellous shower that he estimated dur
ing his observation of three hours 240,-
900 visible meteors passed over the
heavens. A rough estimate of the num-
Der of meteors, sufficiently bright to be
seen by the naked eye under favorable
circumstances, and those invisible, ow-
ing to the daylight, and which enter the
earth's atmosphere during the
space of twenty-four hours, is
about 1000, 900. Some well.known
scientists, taking Into consideration
those which would be reTealed if the eye
possessed the light -grasping power of
our larger telescopes, increase that num-
Der to about 400,oO0,0Oo. We often
hear of the falling of "graat balls Of
fire." with startling explosions follow
ing. Scientists tell US that these So
called balls of fire are really compact
groups of small meteors. When such q
group comes within tire attraction of the
earth it is drawn rapidly toward her sur
face. The encounter with the atmos.
phere separates them and at the same
time consumes them, producing no little
agitation of the air, and thus causing the
sound. This action of separation and
burning would give result in some
cases much like that of rocket explod-
ing in the air, with which display all are
familiar.
Instances of meteoric bodies falling to
earth are comparatively rare. TO enable
it to reach the earth the mass of matter
composing meteor must be of sufficient
bulk to prevent complete dissipation or
consumption during its passage through
the atmos phere to earth. However,
stshowerS Of stone" are matters of history.
On the 2Gth of April, 1903, such a shower
occurred at L'Aigle, in Normandy. The
number of meteoric stones within space
of fourteen square miles was over 20OH.
This fall was accompanied by "bright
light and loud explosions" The height
at which meteors first appear visible is
much disputed question. Estimates
made by we'll known observers give re-
suits varying from forty to ninety miles;
the average velocity accorded them
being about twenty-six miles per second,
or nearly half as fast again as the earth
travels around the sun. Some meteors,
however, have been Observed to possess
q velocity of over 100 miles per second,
or $50, 0OO miles per hour.
Perhaps the reader will ask: "Why
are these bodies burned up" The
answer is this: Suppose two bodies
moving in space with such great ve-
locity and in independent orbits en-
counter; what will be the result9 A
sudden check of their motion converts
that motion into heat. This rule ap-
plies in all cases. In the case of the
earth and the meteors the action is
identical. The mean rate of motion of
the earth in her orbit is about nineteen
miles per second. Moving along at this
rate she encounters cloud of meteors
whose motion is further increased by the
attraction of the greater body. The
cloud of meteors encounters resistance in
the earth's atmosphere and the friction
produced converts the motion into heat
20 great that the meteoric bodies arc
rapidly dissipated. Of course, some
heat is generated in the earth's atmos-
phere, as its share of the encounter, but
the relative amount of the bulk, or
quantity, is trifing. 1t is stated that
the amount of heat ordinarily developed
by the above described encounter is
enough to vaporize any known sub
stance almost Instantly! The fact that
the greater number of meteors are con-
sumed and disappear before they reach
the earth is sufficient evidence that their
mass is small. Such of these meteoric
visitors as have been discovered on the
surface of the earth and afterward an
alyzed show, in general, only terrestrial
elements.
Distinction is made between "acci-
dental meteors" and "meteoric showers. u
As relates to the first named, their vlsl'
bility is common ut all times and might
be called accidental" because they