Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-11-17

perlhenon rests upon the portion OF
her orbit that she passes about Novem
Der IL. This zone, says the New York
| Times, is an immense eliipse, contain
ing an lnnumerable number of me
teors, Which make Il revolution in about
thlrty-three years. The earth on ordi
nary years does not encounter the
great shoal or swarm, but every thirty.
tnree years she passes through the
midst OF it, and there is Il supurb dis
play of celestial pyrotechnics.
| The meteors are spreading far and
VIDE through the zone or ring, and
seem TO Indicate that, in the distant
| future, they will fill every portion of
It. When this takes place the show
efs VIII be more nearly equaliized-
| that is, there will be larger showers
every year. while the grand display
will diminish.
The following little history Of the
November meteors has been very hap
ply called the Romance of 4 Comet.
In the year 1876 of the Christian era
Il stray comet made Il visit to the
suns domain, coming from the infinite
depths of space, and intending to re-
turn to them. 1t CHANGED to come near
Uranus, when the great planet made
it 4 prisoner by force of attraction,
changed its orbit into an ellipse, and
it has ever since continued to wander
within the limits of the solar system,
and give about three grand exhibitions
to terrestrial observers every century.
The last exhibition took place twenty
seven years ago, and SO the next will
be due i'll 1899, just before the close
of this century. The long looked for
shower will then appear, when the
stars by the millions will be darling
toward the earth. The tiny meteors
are called Ieonids, because their radi-
ant point is i'll the constellation of
Leo, the lion. 1t will be we'll to look
for them about the 18th, for the earth
captures every year Il few stragglers
along the path. They are easily known,
for they move swiftly, have green
ish or blue tint, With vivid and per-
SiStcnt trains
The speed of the sun in November
diminiShcS percoptibly, for the rate
ut which it now moves is someWha t
more than double that which it will
tember and October both show Il far
higher velocity of movement, rs the
difference in declination is only about
degrees in November, the motion get
ting gradually slower as the winter
solstice is neared.
While we can no longer enjoy the
SplcndorS of the summers sun, which
give such vividncss and depth to every
variety Of hue, and while we are made
aware by the rain Of ruined leaves that
the bitter cold of winter is not far
away, there is still a period of warm
| weather, when we watch with increas
ing sadness the light of day as it goes
| slowly forth TO this little respite has
been given in England the name st
Martins summer, because it occurs
near the time OF St Martins day. which
| falls Oh November II.
/ To us in America it is more famili
| arly known rs Indian summer, and
! while some authorities fix the time
of it's coming to be in October, after
the frests which commonly take place
during the latter part of September
! the period most generally assigned is
! in November, from the custom of thu
! Indians to avail themselves of this
delightful time for harvesting theil
| corn. 1t is Il bland and genial time
in which the birds, insects and plant.
seem to feel a new creation. The sky
in the meantime, is generally filled
with a blaze Of orange and gold, inter
eeptiTS the direct rays of the sun, We
possessing enough OF light and hea-
to prevent sensations Of gloom or chill
while the nights grow sharp and frosty
and the necessary fires give cheerfn
:, forecast of the social winter evenings
near at hand.
!, Nseember has it's own moon three
out Of the four weeks, and is no
obliged to content itself with a left
over from the previous month for more
than the first seven or eight days OF
it's allotted space ON the calendar
On the 10th there is phase of frs
quarter, which makes us wonder if tn4
old man who is said to live up there
n the land OF green cheese is as hap
py with his first quarter as we wer.
with ours. The full NEON on the 23t
finds Luna well uD in northern declina
ton, and she viii be bright orbed and
a very welcome object for us to loo3
upon She will not seem as warm ant
| comfortable looking as when she is II
far southern declination.
! On the last day of the month W,
shall have the period of last quarter
10 be followed ON December 8 by thu
last moon for this year. The moon AM
| Saturn are in conjunction on the 9th
followed few hours later by a meet
ing with Mars, and two days later will
Uranus We are not able to appre
ciate the beauties of all this, as thu
sun is near enough to play a very
important part. and, by his light, over
powers that Of the other celestia
bodies The 1-day-old moan and Mer
curry next have their monthly seance
and this is succeeded on the 10Th by
a meeting with Venus, which, in the
tender, hardly bright light of sunset
should prove an attraction. On thu
23d Jupiter and the moon pass within
hail followed on the Oath by Neptune
which brings the monthly conjunction
to a close.
Il On the Sd Uranus was in conjunction
with the sun, and passed from al
evening to a morning star, being close
T.