Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-04
MsTEoRS AND comets.
Professor searlc Gives an Interesting Talk
About Shooting Stars.

ABOUT SnOOtlng STARS.
Professor George NJ. Searle, in his lecture
A. the Catholic University in Washington
ON neteors and their relation to comets,
stated many interesting astronomical facts.
He began by making some remarks regard
mo the frequency Of ordinary meteors, and
esneciaily their greater frequency toward
morning. because at that time we are. as it
were. on the bow of the earth, while in the
evening we are at its stern. II Is estimated
that over ten million meteors fall on
the earth in the course of the day visl-
HE to the naked eye-that is thirty
10 sixty an hour-on an average
ot any one place. Observations have
shown that meteors travel with immense
yelocities. They are usually "a much as
6ftv miles away from US and, indeed, nifty
miles above the surface of the earth, which
shows that the atmosphere is higher than
has been commonly believed, for they de-
rive their heat and light from combustion
caused by their contact with tue atmos-
nhere. A meteor has been observed to
come from the Pacific to the Atlantic IN
about two minutes that Is at rate OF
about twenty miles a second. and that was
not at all an unusual velocity. 1t Is eyi-
dent. then. that meteors are really
planets. but most of them are very
minute. As they cannot DO seen to
reach Aut fiAln ilAflt cALo - N'''H't
by the light they give. Twelve foot
mounds Of energy is equal to the light of
a standard candle. On this basis the weight
of common shooting stars has been found
TO vary from one grain to one hundred
grains. There being about fifteen million
Grains in ton it is possible that ten tons
NAV fall on the earth III day, but even Il
a hundred tons should fall every dsy IT
would, il is estimated, only make layer
one inch thick in thousand million years:
or course there are some largor ones called
arolites, and these have been known to
| fnll TO the ground in considerable numbers,
/ but the largest ones actually reaching the
earth have not weighed over 800 pounds,
though they probably weighed more when
| they entered the air.
arETBORIc SHOWERS.
| Meteors have been seen to tall IN show
| ers at various times. Perhaps the most re-
| markable in this century was the one OF
| November -, 1858, in which 100000 were
| counted by an observer OF Boston in tho
| space of tx hours. These meteors seemed
| to diverge from single point IN the SKY:
and this is always the case In displays OF
/ this kind As one old lady remarked. the
| sky appeired like big umbrella. This Is
the efIec of celestial perspective and mere
| lv means that the meteOrs are all travel
ling IN parallel lines. This display was
found % have occurred previously IN
1888 and was traced, when attention had
been called 10 the subject, as far back
~ the year 902, appearing at intervals oil
about .hirty-three years there beine
records of q large number OF lts recur-
rences ince that date. 1t was found thaI
they could be accounted for only by a
| swarm Of meteors travelling in an orbit
around the sun. requiring thirty-three
wears for its complete circuit and the pro-
! cessior or swarm being SO long "a TO re-
cuire TWO or three years 70 pass gwen
| point. On the strength of this conclusion
Professor Newcomb predicted repetition
of this shower in 1866. which was observed,
with expeditions in 1857 end 1868, al being
, quite charitable. though not so noticeable
as that of 1898. :,
The next step in the matter was the dis
coyeyy that the comet of 1866 moved IN the
same orbit as these meteors and that the
slighter showers which occur IN August OF
every year move in the same orbit as the
comet OF 1862.
A COMET RETIRED PROM BUSINESS.
The lecturer then proceeded 10 give an
account Of the remarkable adventures OF
Bielas comet. This comet was discovered
early in the century and found to move IN
a six-year orbit, and was so observed during
several returns. In 1916 II was found to
have separated into two comets, travelling
side by side. In 1852 the double comet was
again seen 10 return. In 1859, circumstances
being unfayorable, il was hardly expected
to be seen, but in 1868. though carefully
looked for, no traceof il was found. Now the
orbit of this comet intorsects that or the
earth, the junction being about at the
point which we occupy in the end or NO
vember, and. IN fact, 1t bad been feared
that a collision might occur between
Biela's comet and the earth ever since the
time that it's orbit had first boon calculated
In 1879, as we crossed this point, shower
of meteors was actually observed coming
in the same direction and following tht
same course as the comet itself would have
done had it been there. So confident wa
the astronomer Klinkerfues that we has
actually collided with the come
itself that he sent to Pogson. a
Madras, the following telegran-pro
| baby the most remarkable tina
! ever crossed q wire: Biola touched eartt
November 9th. Search near Theta Cen
/ tauri." Search being made, comet wa,
\ actually found near that point, but bac
Z weather prevented sufficient observations
!. TO determine its orbit. IL does not appeal
probable tina. il was the principal body o.
4 the former comet, as it was not on th'
| right part of its orbit. the comet shoulC
! have been gone by some considerable
! time earlier. but that there is little doub
| that this comet forms part OF the same sys
! TEN. and indeed 1t is more than doubtful !
! Biela's comet, as such, any longer exists
The probability is that the whole thing ha
been broken up into meteoric stream
Besides those mentioned, other meteor
streams are known TO be accompanied b.
comets, moving in the same orbit, and l
appears probable that all Of the meteorl
streams or showers occurring PERIODICAL
arc the remains of comets which have beef
disintsgrated by planetary perturbetionS
A Understanding Plant
frank leslie's Monthly for hayl