The Saint Paul globe., 1896-11-10

1888 every thirty-three or thirty-four
years. That would be very simple, but
1t is not So
We have stated that the shower of
shooting stars was observed during the
night between Nov. IL and IL, 1899. In
1895 It was between the 18th and 18th;
IN 1882 between the 11th and 18th; in
1866 between the 18th and 18th. In ad-
ditlon to the opposition of 1856 earlier
occurrences were observed by the
Chinese in the years 1888. 1902, 1888,
1856, 1902, 11o1, 934, 902 and S45. The
calculations made by NJ Schiaparelli,
LIE Verrier III. A. Newton and A. Johns
agree to prove that the duration of
the revolution is thirty-three years
and quarter (3325 years..
NO FIXED POSITION.
The meteoric ring which this phe-
nomenon produces does not keep a
fixed position in space The point of
meeting between the ring and the
earthS orbit, or, as astronomers say
the DOW OF the ring, moves little by
little along the terrestrial orbit in the
same direction as the earth's move
ment
The result is a progressive delay in
the dates. 1t is caused by the action
OF the large planets on the substance
of this ring
The orbit of the meteors of Nov. IA,
being 1925 years, has for the length of
its largest axis line measuring nearly
twenty-one times (20.6S) the distance
between the earth and the sun, which
is 149, ,00o, 600 kilometers.
AS its perihelion, or point nearest
the sun, it's distance from the sun is
about the same as its distance from the
earth (0.9S6) AS its aphelion, it's furth-
est point, it is 1858, about the same dis
tance as Uranus, which varies from
1913 to 1928. AS it's perihelion the
cloud nearly touches the earth's orbit,
and at its aphelion it nearly touches
the orbit Of Uranus.
1t does not cut the orbits of the in
termediary planets-Mars, Jupiter or
Saturn-because its plane inclines six
teen degrees six minutes from the
ecliptic.
Along this line orbit the meteors
travel in current which lengthens as
1t passes near the sun and ShOrtenS as
it gets further from it, When they
pass in the neighborhood Of the earth
the width is about hundred thousand
kllometers, and the width of the cloud
such that, in spite Of the speed of AZ, 500
meters per second, $3.50 kilometers per
minute, or $4,000 kilometers per hour,
its passage lasts no less than two years
in our vicinity; the rear guard is still
in our neighborhood when the advance
guard is between Jupiter and Saturn.
This, nevertheless, is only a part of
its immense orbit, which is only COW
cred in one-third of a century
Thus, the enormous cloud has been
for several years advancing toward the
terrestrial orbit, and it's advance
guard will reach our orbit in the spring
Of the year 1899.
On account of the inclination of its
route upon that of our planet round
the sun, the earth will be very far off
at that period and will not meet it.
GIIt In1 nf 1NA1. Tr1l
and at the same date in 1900, it will
pass obliquely across them, and will
receive, almost in direct opposition, on
the meridian of 6 a. M, a shower of
shooting stars similar to those of 1899,
1888 and 1866.
AS the two orbits cross at that date,
we may this year, and especially in
1897 and 1898, meet other clouds travel
ing in the same direction.
One sometimes asks whether we
might not meet, in this mass of light
corpuscles, an Immense bolide, an alp,
mountain capable of crushing a part
of this earth. 1t is not impossible but
it is unlikely. The largest shooting
stars do not seem to exceed a few
grammeS in weight.
Although the cloud of cosmic dust is
invisible, we can calculate it's position
on its orbit for.a a given epoch. We can,
for example, tell where it is at the
the same orbit, although rather less
rapidly. 1t is the comet which passes
its perihelion on Jan. H. 1866, the
period of which is about thirty three
years and siXty-Seven days (33.18) and
which should return on March II, 1899.
unless there should be perturbation
caused by planets. This comet is as
sociated with the shooting stars of
Nov. IA in an intimate relationship, like
the comet Of 1862 with the shooting
stars Of Aug. 10, and like Biela's comet
with those of Nov. 27.
This is one Of the splendid discoveries
of M. Schiaparelli, the learned director
Of the Milan observatory
We can, I say, calculate the position
of the cloud of which we are telling
the history and even point it out on its
orbit That is what we have done.
The central part Of the cloud is repre-
Sented on the figure at the spot where
it will be on Nov. IA, 1899, and on the
same date in 1898, 1897 and 1896
1t will be seen that it is at present
very far from the earth's orbit But.
as we said the cloud is so extensive
that we might already meet it's ad-
vance guard, and perhaps several
clouds exist.
The attention Of astronomers has Just
been called to this point by Mr. John
son Stanley, who thinks that although
the swarm is invisible, an attempt
might be made to photograph it by
leaving the plates exposed for a long
time toward the region of the sky In
which 1t is. He recommends that the
day and hour of the appearance of the
first leonides which present them
selves to view shall be determined as
exactly as possible, as also their ira
jectory, through our atmosphere In
order that we may complete, as far as
possible, the knowledge which we al
fO the of no
swarm.
We had said that the meteorS do not
form a compact mass, but are spread
over considerable portion of their
orbit This is the consequence of their
individual speed Those who travel
fastest are in front, those whose revo-
luton is more slow are behind, and
each return to the earth disturbs them
and diSSeminateS them, and the same
is the case with regard to the more
distant action Of JUPITER Uranus and
Saturn. -.-,.s-
From century to century the current
spreads itself along the orbit and be-
comes longer. There was a time when
they formed a compact swarm, and
that time is not very distant, for other
wise the swarm would be spread out
into continuous ring, and would no
longer exist as a swarm. The work Of
dislocation cannot have begun very
long ago.
The swarm, which is new to the plan
etary system, could only have been in
troduced and thrown into it's orbit by
the action of disturbing and energetic
cause, as happened in the case of the
periodic comets. In analyzing this
orbit LIE Verrier found that the swarm
had come very near Uranus during the
first days Of March in the year 126 of
our era.
1t had come out Of space and had
probably a Spheric shape, like comets