The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-05
STAR SHOWER COMING.

Meteoric Display Due Aug. lO..As.
tronOmers Fix the Date Of the
Earth's Contact with the Fragmen.
tary Planets Which Hurl Their
Pieces at the Intruder.
FroA the Times-Heraid.
Flaming metsors will lombard the
earth about Aug. 10. The sky will be
veined with streaks of light as the stars
shoot through the atmosphere. but the
siege will be raised before the meteoric
combatants get within heiling distance.
Some Of the meteors joining in the fu-
sillade may hurl the chips from their
shoulders to the earth. None Of the
shooters, however, will come nearer this
planet than seventy-hve miles, though
they may leave few "Reminiscences Of
their visit behind them.
Astronomers have scheduled the me-
teorio shower for Aug. 10, but, though
they have inside information, the ar
rangements may be upset at any mo-
ment. The earth Is doing the best 1t can
to hasten the event by travelling toward
the stream Of meteors at the rate Of
eighteen miles q second. In fact two
OF the advance agents OF the heavenly
visitants have already made their ap-
pearance. One was seen by Professor
w. r. Brooks Of the Smith observatory,
Geneva, N. Y. last Tuesday. as 1t was
taking a peep at the moon. This was
supposed to be a free silver meteor
which had deserted the earth for a new
love. Part Of another meteor fell to
the earth on Wednesday in Mexico, with
such terrific force that 1t penetrated TOO
feet through rock and soil. A clear at
mosphere will be all that is needed to
enable everyone to see the futile bonn
bardment Of the stars. But thousands
of meteors will shoot toward the earth
in the day time, thus interfering with a
continuous performance.
August and November are chosen
every year for the threatening but
harmless fusilade. The most brilliant
neteoric shower only occurs. every
thirty three years, and Is not due until
1898 or 1899. The August display is only
a sideshow compared with the shower
which takes thirty-three years to get
here. Observers will get plenty Of
chances to wish. however, whenever
they see shooting star within the next
three weeks.
EARTH INvADEs THEIR SPACE.
The metoers travel in their own cir
Gle around the sun, and would never
think Of threatening the earth X. the
latter did not plunge right through the
ring. This stream or ozone of meteors
travels round the sun in a direction al
most opposite to that Of the earth. Con-
seQuently the latter infringes on the ter
ritory of the nieteors at certain periods
and q shower of flaming stars follows.
The meteoric stream is a vast ellipse.
having no beginning and no end. Pro-
fessor Herbert A. Howe, of Chamberlin
University. Denver, says the meteors
travel in parallel paths, like drops In q
transform.
Sometimes August is not favored with
a brilliant shower Of shooting stars, be-
cause the belt is not SO dense in some
parts as in others. Sometimes there are
gaps in the stream and only few hun
dreds of stars fall. The earth strikes
the belt again in November, and q
bright shower Is usually seen between
November II and 13. The August me-
teors are denser about the 10th of the
month. The meteoric river Is so broad,
however, that 1t takes the earth
month to get through 1t. and shooting
stars may be seen from July IS to Aug
ust 20. It was one Of these meteors on
the edge Of the stream that sent a re-
minder to the Santos Reyes mine in the
state Of Chihuahua, Mexico, last We'd
nesday. A huge piece Of meteoric iron
struck the mountain side and carried
away cliffs before It buried itself 700
feet in the earth. 1t also destroyed
miners cottage and killed his two
children.
Although the stream travels at the
rate Of twenty-six miles a second It
takes 1t 100 years to make one revolu-
tion. These shooting stars never strike
the earth, but only impinge on it's at
mosphere. So swift is the motion Of a
meteor that 1t flames into incandes-
cense when encountering the higher
strata Of air, skirting the globe at
safe distance, though sometims fling
ing a souvenir to the invader of the
stream.
Is A BRILLIANT SIGHT.
lHc BTcdt uictcOIIC EuOWST WHICH w.
ours every thirty-three years is one of
marvellous brilliance and beauty. Pro-
fessor Howe says that when the earth
struck the dense part Of the stream No
vember IL, 1883, the nc groes Of the south
ern states were struck with terror and
thought the world was coming to an
end. The falling stars were az tn ick as
snow flakes. Another brilliant display
was seen in the heavens in 1886 and the
next is expected in November, 1889.
though bright shower may he seen i'm
the fall Of 1898 as forerunner Of the
great bonbardment. The dense part
of the meteoric stream Is 1000 900, ,0cO
miles long and consumes two years in
passing given point. g..
Professor 8. W. Burnham is awaiting
the advent Of the rnsteoric visitors in
his observatory in Fifty.frst street.
I'VE may have . fine display in Chi
gago about August TO-" he said. but 1t
ID largely dependent on the cleArness OF