New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-10
TIE AUGUST SHOWER or UEIEORS'
From The Chicago Inter Ocean.

From The Chicago Inter Ocean,
The August meteors are believed TO originate rom n
a large cluster or zone OF mcteotic pVrij' ttenhfur
wolves around the sun In an eipticai 0rDIo; nt,,
far beyond the orbit Of the remote pi,oU n
aud through which the eaitn RlanReb5 the bodies
IS also believed by most ASTRONOMERS thhi ue,c - 90
are scattered over the entire pain ol the tL,,gS
which they belong, but NOT IN equal hn.oTn' throrc
out The earth Is about ten Gays III P'',n..ne ,aS,
he entire cluster, which. from our Nei"'lN III sPdc,
Indicates that thickness Of the cluster - aDG:
100000 miles. - the ahh'i Au-us 3a triryeis
usually lasts .ihuut hours, ana the tI ua' IL
at the rate OF 67, 900 miles per hp"r or eSn'cn
4 second. il follows that the bIraHth o. ulJ Hcr.o
stream at the place where the earth crosse. H. ooc
enough 10 produce nct 80 1"" war tb. earth
cnc0untors the cllpca orbit o thi' mc'corlc c' .
the major axis Of which is fifty times greater ,"a t
mean diameter of the Garth, or0t tI!Y oIDu "a and
mceorr is greatly inclined to that OF the GaIt anu
their motion IS retrOgadc. or contrary 10 "'' VI '
iho density Of the mctcoric clu,ter-or stream a.
some astronomers call # T. believed to be quiz ia,
the average distanc" %: the members rom ,no Mia
lawns been computed To be more than lVP Imc''
rom which circun -tancc ana tnr lal, ar, ,H ,~,
toned. that the stream i spread ai'nhu I'' VII
or, Professor NcwcOmb, OF the United STATE NdF1i
observatory. recognizes decided indications 81 an,
,yiti inc November cluster 80 that -l', with
considerable probability. that the August group ma
been n our system least twenty time loh.t nian
the November group" Professor swift IN reierflu!
70 tn August mcteoric display: say - The ITni
AugI,t shower mentioned IN history v''urffq Oh LUZ
- A. .. al and has appeared with nnihihF re-
ularit, down 10 orr tine. "N'"pt p'Y'n -. rd
fnre. wear between I'll and 90. ana a. o'h'r a.H
much longer one OF 80 years, between "3" ana = i|
win, probably 10 breaks lu IN" .lu- or when :
more lkcv. to failure 10 record t~m I !t are
on record large number OF mctcorlc displays mar ar
believed 10 belong 20 the same cliNttr ara ,'il'
I,on OF The dates a,r'- Indication 81 na N,,ih
II brlancy recurring Al in!cryal' Of about lV7 Nr"
II is u Tact generally known ma inc '@, !.
passes through lttl" more than lr' Oh IT, , -,
'tfcams u the course II is annual journey Ar una tr
I'm Each Of these streams haS som. piit. ,"H, a.
radiant point, and belongs = dl>I JIM "a ,hejr
mr'cors over 700 Of these streams have hAd ttr.r
orbit, determined hy aslronom"r~; ana "tner' 1f IT,
Gucntll added - Oh" ll-i ALREADY N"|"' .'" l,
long series 81 observations astronomers nav" ,
cudcd that m" Garth encounters about i"'''1
shooting slr>-.ncludng those mat W"uiu ~ . '','
n rough the larg-,' telescope during it, annual }'i
ucy around TIC -un. ... II is mo-" known that 'h.
ns star, are fr,gmcntarT ma'~e> rvolyihS HNr ti5
niarct, around The suu centre which 10 fhcr
cour,c approach the earth and being drawn bI rs At
generated through friction and The resistance Offered
iy the compressed air. We never sec shooting Sar
,,dnscrncc-or become red and it, sub
is scattered IN powder Or >moh" t.iio Z? Inc
earth As dust" or floats about III the Amos
phcre. ..r., .,,. ,o, III. ..,
that they resemble the star IN appctfahcr Inc en-
ter our atmo phcle with velocity from my 70 X
thcy dark and invisible but are alm",t instantly
LIMITED after their sudden impact ana 'NlhcN
(on;amed '4er dust sraG"ay I. %c 10 ,
,nat $50 pounds Of mctcorc dust fan 10
he c,rta 'tycry n'ar Ha.sn g S. ,,. MAKE
wear while PROFESSOR Proctor considers even this ~
na i f' Sun n" FL, yint man can tell n, vGar II
pally g. for not one ht ever been known - r.ach NE
O.
while the most rapid cannon -ho> scarcely attain w.
l,i rs ~ COO metres second 500 mile AN y ZAP
-inetcprtc, are known 10 pcnctrat" the atm >pi'i"
with A velocity Of 10000 even 10000. metres l"r
second and ~" motion IF ordinary shooting ~i'iN H. -
extremely rapid mat they ara consumed and scattered
I'm smoke before they have time 10 reach III" cart b.
Professor swift ,ay.: shooting star IS only VS.! e
while undergoing the process II coubu>ton "hcn
last, from three seconds. seldom longer pulF
while bru. burned they visible To II. a. then they
shine by their own hsht shooting starr move DID Al
directions. and At velOcitl"> probably equal 10 me
eirth'o nearly nineteen miles second one moving
rctr,;rrde. herct r. from east 70 we-t would Pnnse
thirty eight miles a "oond. and. IL ao" tnct b" maze
for accelerated motion. caused by th" carihS aira'-
| second Ihe encounter Is fearful aud hut tor ne
atno- pherc which acts rs mon, on" eject "oNil
h- disastrous. for not less than -Oooco0oo would
Il' actual Diameter Of the largest meteor or
| hall" i, estimated D., Humboldt TO vary from
tive hundred 10 twenty cisht thousand feet other
| arr mnch smaller. their weight varying from UF.I
grains to seven pounds. professor Hardness wa"
has devoted many years to tr .tu.N 90 IN, I'Pv,n
estimate that The average weight ~ ordinary -hNtg
stars docs differ much from one gram 80 thh me
mnutcucso Of these curious celestial OBJECTS may -.
| easily ima.urd shooting STAR are the suhMst
uf them being no larger than a pfuht or gIV'' 't
coarse said even. No tine ~ dcWarkat"n can De
brilliant meteor that leaves a luminous trau n'ouu
In fact. a meteor" Is simply large shooting @taF.
They drrr from each other in >re color. dl''.un,
train and velocity but astronomical character tHN
are precisely allie both moving In long orbits Uk"
comets, and like comet, n all angles 10 the cdrt ~,
orbit A>ironomically ,pcaking. meteor j. 4 sndii
| comet not having however the comet lah. -,
some mctcore are 50 large that they fail ID the
earth as "ncroiteS" before the neat pr'h'''H Nv
| friction can convert their substance Inv" N1ioI.
Scvcrpl have been found. and seen {" itll on NnH
| part, Of the earth and massive epecimch We,s.ls
61j pounds or nearly one ton, i preserved III INC
| museum Of Yale College.