The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-09-05
MISSILES FROM rHs nnAvgNs.
Billions Of Them Fail, but Comparatively
Few Reach the Earth,

Billions Of Them Fall, but Comparatively
Few Reach the Earth.
1T Is mistake to suppose that mete-
orites burst In the proper sense Of the
word" said scientist TO writer. "But
1t often happens that they are broken to
pieces on striking the atmosphere Of the
earth. This may seem surprising, but
let me call your attention to an analogy.
Strike the surface of water with your
fist, and, though fluid, the resistance 1t
opposes to the blow seems almost as
strong as If 1t were solid. Now, the me-
teorite is moving at tremendous rate of
speed. If small, 1t is set on fire in an in
slant by the friction Of the air, and after
glowing for q moment brightly is con-
sumed.
"On any night in summer you will
see shooting stars now and then. They
are meteorites, which on coming into
contact with the earth's atmosphere are
set afire. This is not Surprising, mas
much as they approach the planet Oh
which we live at speed which often mt
tains "A miles second. BY causing the
destruction of meteorites the atmosphere
serves as protection for people on the
globe, who would otherwise be pelted
by such missiles to a dangerous extent
1t is estimated that not less than 10000.
600 Of them, big enough to be visible to
the naked eye, strike the earth every "a
hours.
"By contact with this planet the me-
teorites are raised to a temperature which
reaches from 100000 to 4,000, 900 de-
grees-high enough TO consume the hard
est known substance almost instantly,
Thus only those of large size reach the
earth before being entirely burned up.
The greatest number of such bodies can
be seen just before day break, because by
that time we are on the front side of the
globe as it moves through space. The
elevation at which most of them are Wis
lille has been found to be between 40 and
80 miles, very few being seen at greater
height than 100 miles.
"It is believed by most astronomers
that some very large meteors have en-,
tered our atmosphere and have passed
out into space again, their great mo
mentum being sufficient to take then
away from the earth's attraction. What
these flying bodies are is question that
has been much disputed, but it is con
sidered most likely that they are tn,
debris of broken up comets. In one re
cent instance the correctness Of this the
DRY has found striking proof. That wa
the case of the comet Of Biela. 1t wa
discovered in 1925 and was again OBJ
served in 1882, 1916 and 1852 In 1916 i
had split into two parts, and in 1879 i
failed to appear when and where 1
should have done. Evidently ID had bee,
smashed up, and prediction was mad
that there would be great meteori
shower composed of the remains of tn
lost comet. This prediction was fulfilled
Certain groups of meteors move il
elliptical orbits around the sun. Occa
sionally the earth passes through thei
, clusters, producing what are known a
meteoric showers. Such showers occu
annually from the 9th to the 18th of Au
gust, and there is similar display il
! November once every 8S years. TIL
stream of the August metsors is est
, mated to be from 5000, 900 to 10, 900, 90
miles thick. The earth, though travel
ing with the velocity of 1900, 900 miles
day, is immersed in it for several days.
1.-THE fall of lneteorites to the earth j
sometimes accompanied by great dis
; play of light, occasionally illuminating
; an area Of many thousand square miles
! When such an event occurs at night, an
with loud detonations, SO great in som
r instances as to shake houses and fright
en- men and animals, the explosions ar
3 caused by the breaking up Of the me
a teor. Ordinarily you will find that sue
Q meteoric bodies are coated on the out
: side with a black substance, which
n the effect merely of fusion of the super
b ficial material by great heat A piece G
Biela's comet was actually picked up i
Mexico in 1872 at the time OF the shove
o of its remains. Naturally it is consit
:. cred interesting.
"Such great interest is taken in met,
orites that all of those collected hay
a been carefully catalogued. They al
+ mostly composed of iron, with usually
d percentage of nickel and cobalt an
3 sometimes copper and tin. 1t is custom
4 airy to saw them into slices, which is
o laborious process, for sale or for e1
s change among museums. Sometime
9 tho slices are prettily polished, or the Gu
surfaces are etched with acid 40 as to e,
a pose the crystalline structure. TIL
!. structure is in no two such bodies exac
!. ly the same, and the differences az
h thought well worth studying Attempt
/. have been made to counterfeit meteor
ties because they are SO valuable, bu
without success. "-Washington Star.