Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-30
THE NOVEMBER SKIES.
The Month When the Earth Plunges
Through the Meteor Zone.


Through the Meteor Zone.
The great feature that distinguishes No
vember from other months. says the New
York Times. is the fact that during that
month the earth plunges through the me-
teor zone, whose perihelion rests upon the
portion Of her orbit that she passes about
November IL. This zone is an immense
ellipse, containing an innumerable number
OF meteo-s, which make a revolution in
about thirty-three years. The earth ON
ordinary years does not encounter the
great shoal or swarm, but every thirty-three
years she passes through the midst Of it.
and there is superb display of celestial
pyrotechnics.
The meteors are spreading far and wide
through the zone or ing, and seem to in
dictate that. in the distant future. they
will NIL every portion Of il. When this
takes place the showers will be more nearly
equalized-that is, there Will be larger
showers every yea-. while the grand dis
play will diminish.
The following little history of the No
vember E,eteo-s mas been very baIp,ly
called the Romance o. Come" In the
year 126 of the Christian era n stray comet
made visit to the suns domain. coming
from the infinite depths OF space, and in
tending to return to chem. 1t CHANGED to
come too near Uranus. when the great planet
made it a prisoner oy Io-ce of attraction,
changed its orbit into elltpse and 1t has
ever since continued 20 wander within the
limits of the solar system. AMI give about
three grand exhibitions To terrestrial OBJ
servers every century.
The last exhibition took place twenty
seven years ago. and so the next will be due
in 1899. Just before the close of this cantury
The long-looked-for shower Will ther ap-
pear. when the heavens will be cn fire and
shooting stars by the millions will be Dart
ing toward the earth. The tiny mcteors are
called Leonids. because their radiant point
Is in the constellation of Leo, the lion. 1t
is wen to look for them about the 18th, for
the earth captures every year a few strag-
gle-S along the path. They are easily
known. for they move swiftly. have a
greenish or BLUSH tint. with vivid and per-
sistent trains
While we can no longer enjoy the splen-
doris OF the summers sun. which give such
vivicness 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 pc
ROD OF warm weather. when We watch
with increasing sadness the light OF day
as 10 goes slowly forth. To this little re-
spite has been given in England the name
ST. Martins summer, because IL occurs
near the time of ST. Martins day which
falls on November II.
To US in America II is more Familiarity
known as Indian summer, and. while some
authorities fix the time OF its coming to
De IN October. after the frosts which COM
monty take place during the latter Part of
september. the period most generally as
signed Is In November. from the custom CT
the INDIANS TO avail themselves Of this de-
hghtful time for harvesting their corn
me moon and Saturn are in conjunction
on the 9Th. followed a few hours later BY a
meeting with Mars. and two days later with
Cranus- We are not able to appreciate the
beauties of all this. the sun is near
enough TO play very importan. part and
oy ms light. overpower that OF the other
CELESTIAL bodies. The one-iay-oEl moon and
Mercury next have their monthly seance and
this Is succeeded on the 18th by a meeting
Win venus. which. IN the tender, hardly
bright light of sunset should prove an ar
traction On the sd Juritar AMI the moon
pass within nall, followed ON the .i;h by
Neptune. which inSs the rnon-hly con-
functions to d close.
Tn the Sd TRANS is In cDnjt-r..pn with
the sun and l:,s<es from an .v ,niny 10 a
morning sta. being closely allied to Saturn
ana Mars 1t VAS in April that Uranus
WIS IN opposition, SO that We see he has
occupied six months in making half the
circuit. the other marking place being at
the close of July. when ne was IN cuadra-
ture. Uranus Is to be fourl in the constel-
lation of Libra.
Mercury. on the 5th, reaches a roint rs
Tar east from the sun as the latter Will
admit OF his going during This swina, around
the circle. and on the :slh we find the
winch tells US that ia - bout d.. ssins fr,ln
an evening to morning star In a little
more than month fair Venus reaches her
nrthest east, after which she will he cur
eaihns her length Of stay: but her disk ia
getting large, and she will even be still
more beautiful through the crisp December
ar and clear atm o5pnere than she is at
present
Abou, the time that Venus sinks to res,
We tuIn cur eyes TO the eastward we
snaii see group of blush stars Using
SLOWLY above the horizon. This will he ,i,s
famous PieIades. which are soon after fol-
lowed by the King OF the planets the great
Jupiter himself while the bright star that
rises next IN order is Aldebaran whose loca-
uon IS IN the eye of the mighty bull
Jupiter mas for some time been A morning
star, out he how once AGAIN Challenges
venus Tor the supremacy of the eyenir q
SKY All available telescopes are now being
directed toward Jupiter and every onnor1
tunlty Is improved Tor studying the Present
aspect OF this great planet. There is n
Famous rel spo- on the surface of J,n;ter
tnat mas been made subject OF dIsc,,ssicr
ana It's characteristics, Color &C. are s,iII
matters OF greae interest The ep,r Was
hfst seen fifteen years ago, md has been
visible ever since. This .narK!ny ON tGe
race or our plan .-ary neichbo- Is SAID To no
soVU miles long and 800 w,Ie am. strange
TO say, We are still in the dark ns 10 ia
cause II anything new is learned about
TINS strange phenomenon 1t Will prob:,Iiv
be when the planet is at or near opp,sitio,,
Neptune Is also slowly approaching on
position. and will arrive there earlv in ne
cember. "