The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-08-10
THE AUGUST METEORS.
Their Advent Last Night Oh.
scured as Usual by Fog.

Yesterday the earth entered the orbit of
the August meteoric belt. For number of
years heavy banks Of fog have obscured the
heavens to such an extent that no observa-
tons whatever could be made in this city,
but outside observers have made some very
interesting reports. In Volume III, No. Is.
1881, of the publications of the Astro-
nomical Society of the Pacific, w. ii. S.
Mnnck contributes paper entitled "The
August Meteors," from which the following
extracts arc taken:
"One of the best-known meteor showers
OF the year is that which attains its maxi
mum about August 9th and 11th, ara has
latterly been known as the Perseids. Since
the publication of Schiaparelli's paper on
the subject over twenty years ago, the
shower has been supposed to be caused by
Comet III. 1862, the node of whose orbit is
reached by the earth on August 10th, the
cometary radiant being computed at 43o
right ascension, 5715o north deeination, by
Mr.. C0rrigaD. Mr.. Denning, indeed, who is
probably the best living observer in this de-
partment, has made several statements
which appear to be inconsistent with the
cometary theory, but which have attracted
but little attention. The shower. according
to him, commences as early rs July Sth,
from radiant situated at 50 right ascension,
49' north declination, and terminates about
August 22i. with radiant at 7So right as
censiOn, SO north decinatiop, there having
been continuous shifting of the radiant
during this interval. The high inclination
of the comets orbit to the ecliptic seems
inconsistent with the long continuance of
the shower, and few OF Mr.. Denning's
ESureS, which were submitted to the test OF
computation by Mr.. Corrgan in the Side
real Messenger, showed thar, if the English
observer was correct, the true radiant of the
shower must have shifted even more rap
idly than the apparent radiant"
Not to follow Mr.. AtOnck'S theoriZing any
longer, or his comparisons and references to
the other observations made by different as
tronomers, the result is briefly summed up
as follows:
81. The August meteors do not come
fEOm single radiant, but from several radi-
ants, which are simultaneously active and
some Of which are situated at consider
able distance from the cometary radiant.
-. These simultaneous radiants do not
occupy the same positions every year or
even in the same year, when observations
are made at different places, but they are
all comprised within an area. which may
therefore be regarded as n radiant area.
''3. MeteOrs come from the principal ra-
diant situated at about 44'X560 and from
other points within the radiant area) both
before and after the maximum display in
August. and the activity of the principal
radiant, in fact, lasts from June to De-
cember.
II. Meteors come from the radiant area of
Andromeda which gives fine display of
meteOrS about November 9th, simultane-
ousiy with the meteors from the radiant
area In Perseus, and these two radiant
areas, in fact run into each other, and can
not be separated.
'5. There is no continuous shifting of the
radiant, and If the activity of the western
portions of the radiant area is more marked
during the earlier part OF the display, and
that of the eastern during its later develop
ments, the activity of the former does not
cease when that of the latter becomes con-
spicuous, but both are simultaneously active.
These features of the display seem to be
inconsistent with the cometary theory as
usually held. Whether they can be ex-
planned by a family of comets (most of them
hitherto unobservedl, | leave TO be consid-
cred. The entire subject is worthy of atten-
ton, both by observers and theorists"
Last night, as usual here, the opportunity
for making observations was destroyed by
the dense fog which hung overhead and OBJ
scured the heavens.