St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-30
1T MIGHT RAIN PITCHFoRKs.
Certainly Iron Would Fall in Dam
Eerous Shape but for Our At
mOSDhere.

Certainly Iron Would Fall in Dam
gerous Shape but for Our At
mosphere.
Harper's Young People.
Any clear night. if the watcher has
patience, he may see one or more
shooting stars" or meteors. These are
not stars at all. but often are more
brilliant than any star. because they are
so near us that their friction against
the earth's atmosphere either causes
them to glow at white heat or to fla me
up like a torch. Even a very small
meteor, one not much larger than pin
head, might become distinctly yiSi ble in
this way, and seen against back
ground of consultations, outshiue the
North Star.
The whole solar system, astronomers
say, is Strewn with particles of matter
known as Star-duSt, while larger bodies
known as meteoroidS chase one another
about the sun at intervals of few
miles. Usually when these meteoroids
encounter the earth's atmosphere they
break into small fragments and fall
harmless To the ground.
1t is thought that only 800 or TOO of
these meteoric stones reacl, the surface
of the earth unbroken in the course of a
year, while the number of small par
ticles which fall has been estimated at
100000 day. Ii the air did not act as
cushion, no casualty would be more
common than being hit ny meteorite
Meteorites are usually composed of
iron, silicon and oxygen, the three ele-
mpntS which are most common in the
earth, and as no new elements have
been found in these visitors from space,
1T is believed that the solar system, and
perhaps the universe, are made out of
the same material as the earth.
The motion of falling meteors is very
curious. One has been known to travel
on line almost parallel with the earth
surface. and from sixty to 100 miles
above it, all the way from Indian Terri
tory to Central New York, where it is
supposed to have fallen into fragments.
Another passed from Michigan across
New York state and Oh out to sea, be-
tween New York city and New Haven.
These me;eorS travel 600 to 700 miles an
hour after they become visible.
MeteorS are most common about Aug.
10 and Dec. Z. when the earth annually
encounters long drOveS of meteorods as
they journey around the sun. Once in
thirty-three years the earth crosses the
thin stream of Leonides. which seems
10 COLle lTOlll Tie CONSIDERATION Leo, anu
is so long that six or eight years are re-
0uired for this flock of IneteorS. travel
ling twenty-siX miles second. to pass
given point. When the earth meets
this great tOrchlight procession there is
display worth seeing. The next one
will take place in November. 1899.
Where meteorS come from is not
known. Whether they are fragments
of burst planet Or collected star dust
can only be surmised. Once it was
thought that they kept up the suns
supply of heat by running into him, but
that theory has been abandoned.
What is certain is that the planets are
becoming somewhat larger and heavier
every year through the shower of me-
teorS and star dust that is constantly
falling. Thus 1t happens that while il
| never rains ptchforks, yet iron enough
to make a pitchfork rains upon the
earth every day.