The evening times., 1895-11-13
STIR SHOWERS TONIGHT
Annual November Display Of le-
onids and Andromedes.
INCESSANT RAIN OF METE0RS
1t Is Estimated That Millions of Them
Enter the Earth's Atmosphere
DniIy-Notabie Instances of Aero
Iites That Have Fallen From the
Skies

The .'Ides OF November the
13,h-constitute an important date in the
astronomical calendar, for they signolize
the carth's transit OF the intersection or
its orbit with that OF a famous meteor
rroup, which constantly sacrifices in
credible numbers OF its constituency tu the
attraction of its more important neigh
Dor.
Tie inccssant rain of metcOrs makes ii
obvious that multitudinous myriads of
bodies inhabit inicTpianetary space. II is
estimated that millions of them enter the
earth's atmosphere daily, and at 1arora-
BILE junc,ures the supcrabundancc OF such
visitors Is oppressive to ari,hmctical cal
culatioH.
IL has been clearly ascertaincd that
many distinct groups of these bodies, or
..swarms." as they have been aptly termed,
are pursuing regular elliptic orbits about
the sun.
The orbits of the November Leonids
have their perihela on The earth's orbit,
and their apGelia just beyond that OF
Uranus. The gravitatiOnal dictum or
Newton is beautifully Illustrated In the
influence of the earth upon the meteoric
mass, Tor there is no moment when luckless
nc,eors are not drawn away from their
allegiance 10 the sun-the great exhibi-
lions, however, only occurring in those
years when the main body happens TO DE
near the point ofinterseCtion.
VELOCITY OF ENTRANCE.
Its own flaming atmosphere, together
with irradiation, causes tie latter TO seem
much larger than il really IL, the light
being simply the combustion OF the meteor
In its struggle win the outer air belt.
The average velocity oI entrance, according
to Young, is twenty ty-six miles per second.
The resulting 1rictional temperature usu-
ally completely consumes the meteor at a
distance OF fifty miles above the earth =
surface.
But there are notable instances of me
tcors which have been seen to fall 10 the
earth, and many other bodies bearing pre-
ciscly the same markings have been found.
These are termed "aeroljtes.' Occasi'n-
ally one falls in a single mass, but usually
the strange little world is in fragments.
Acrolites are mostly stone, but a lew are
of very pure iron, with nickel alloy.
Some masses ui stone contain more or less
iron.
The largest meteor actually seen Ia fall
weighed about 500 pounds; but there have
been found masses of undoubtcd mctenric
origin weighing several tons Only once
during II star shower was piece OF me-
teoric iron known to reach the carths sur
face,
In 1891 the late DR.. Fo"tc discovered IN
Arizona Il meteuric mass in several rag
mentsp weighing perhaps 800 pounds. II
was of the nickc.-.ron variety, but, upon
attempting to polish Il portion OF it, the
tonls were ruined by u protruding dia-
moDd. Had it been a commercial diamond
instead of mere black Diamond per-
haps popular interest IN meteors would
have been stimulated.
NO NEW ELEMENTS.
In addition to carbon, many Of the fainil-
lar elements have been found. but M new
ones. In one case the heart OF the me
teor, chilled with the lrightfui cnh of
space, was 50 lar unaTfect.u by the rcsis,-
ance OF the air belt that, when found IN
moist earth soon alter its contact, IL was
discovered Ia be coated with ice.
1t requires an active ASTRONOMER Ia catch
a spectruscupic glimpse ui the light of
even the brightest Of meteurs, but their
spectra have been partially examined and
some lines have been Identified.
The field Of speculation regarding the
origin OF meteors is wide. Some have main-
tanned that either terrestrial OF lunar vol
canoes are responsible for the parcntage OF
these tiny bodies, but eternal quiescence
seems to have settled upon the lunar cata-
pults, aud no terrestrial volcano is now
able Ia cope with gravitation- But II Is
claimed that the erection occurred in the
din ages, aud during the period of yigor
Of both earth aud moon.
Other philosophers attribute them TO So
lar action, asserting that the "oCcluded,"
or absorbed, gases found in them and re-
leased by heat prov. couclusively that they
have been charged while a part Of the
sun or the stars.
Star showers are associated with certain
localities Of the sky. The point from which
the meteOric streams seem to proceed is
called the radiant point Thus the early
November shower is termed the 'Leonids,'
the later one the .Andromedes,' and the
August neteors are termed '-Perscids. OF
course, it will be uEGerstood that these
supreinely distant considerations areonly the
starry background for the exhibition.
Themorning stars are the best for Obscrva-
tion, although the waning moon may dis
count the pientifuiness of the display OF
Leonids. and the waxing moon will more
seriously interfere with the later Andro-
medes.
While the major showers OF the Andro-
medes occur about every thirteen years,
the great star storms 81 the Lvonlds hap
pen only once in a generatioD-every thir-
ty-three years. The older Pcrseids are so
evenly distributed in their orbit that they
appear plentiful each year, hut are most
abundant during the latter part OF July
and the carly part of August.
Probably the most sensational event con-
nected with astronomy was the rema rka ble
shower OF LeoniIis ON Nuvtr!iurr ~. 1898.
The number estimated as falling in Boston
in q few hours w0s 100000. They fell
like suowflakes," and in some sections in
spired the beholders with terror. for it was
believed that 1.-The end of the world had
come. The magnificent spectacle was re-
pcated in 1866, although not under such
favorable auspices. and the close of this
century will be crowned with similar corus-
cations.
Let the green and blue ''Leonids' he
sought to November II, and the red "An-
dromedes'' for few nights before and after