The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-11-11
METEORS ARE ON THE WAY.
Shooting Stars Will Blaze In November.
From, the Ne,c York Herald

SNCOtIOY StETS VIII DidLo I'LL VutCIHuCts .
From the Ne,u York Herald
We are now nearing the great me-
teoric orbit, and very soon there will
| appear in the heavens great numbers
| Of the sparkling shooting stars, y
blazing into dissolution from the heat
caused by friction with the earth's at
mosphere. Astronomers the world
over are preparing to witness the dis
play, which will be atits height about
the middle of November, and local as
tronomers are in readiness to make
careful observations.
I asked Prof. Robert Spice, astrono-
mer of the Cooper Institute: What
are the special purposes Of the obser-
vations that are to be nader
"The special purposes arc three
fold" he answered. "First, to estab-
lish the point of radiation, or the
point from which the meteors appa-
rently proceed, for although they
move in parallel lines, perspective
draws these lines together as they re-
cede from US. From the fact that the
great November streams apparently
radiate from the constellation Leo,
they have been termed Leonoids.
Second, to learn the relations Of me-
teors to lost comets; and, third, to
establish the fact whether or not COM
cts produce meteors, or whether com
cts are the result of meteors, or
whether both of these are effects OF
one cause. For many years observa-
tions Of the various streams of me-
teors have been made, and though we
are continually adding to the sum OF
knowledge there is an absence Of
agreement on all points.
"There is one fact quite we'll estab-
lished," continued Prof. Spice,
(which is that meteors and comets
are closely connected with each other.
This fact has been we'll established by
the observations of Prof. II. A. New
ton, Of Yale College, and also by many
other observers. Some astronomers
for instance, Prof. Schiaparelli-re-
gard comets as captured meteoric
flights; others believe meteors to be
broken up comets; and yet others
look on both of these phenomena as
the effect of one cause. There is un-
doubtedly real association between
the orbits Of certain meteoric streams
and missing comets. The orbit of the
large comet of 1862, the appearance
of which was accompanied by a grand
meteoric display, has been found to
have association with one of these
streams, and then the identity of the
shower of meteors of November, 1872,
with the path of Biela's lost comet
has been satisfactorily demonstrated.
"Scientifcally considered, there is
much of interest in these meteoric
displays, and the observations at this
time will increase in Importance until
about the last of November in this
century, when the earth's orbit will
intersect the meteoric orbit, when
the greatest mass Of the stream Of me-
teors is due at that point. Then we
will be likely to witness display like
those that have occurred about every
thirty-three and one-quarter years, as
long back as there are any records.
We will likely see some Of the meteors,
too. Though records show only elev-
en- that have actuall been seen to fall,
still some three hundred specimens
are in the museums that are quite GER
tainly meteors. Some of these can be
seen in the Metropolitan Museum OF
Art.
There have been from time to time
various theories besides the cometlc
one advanced as to the origin Of these
meteors, and some of them are strong
ly upheld to-day. Among them is the
claim that these streams have been
cast up by earthly, planetary or sun
volcanic eruptions, with sufficient
force to throw them beyond gravity
attraction, causing them to take up
an independent orbit.
The amateur as well as the profess
sional astronomer can observe the mo-
tion direction and number Of these
celestial tramps, whose advance guard
is now nearing US. Nightly, as we
more closely approach the grade
crossing" where the track OF the earth
and crack Of the meteors intersect, we
can expect to see the bright specks OF
comets in our upper atmosphere in in
| creasing numbers and may look out for
actual collisions, but these bodies,
| nearly always of infnitesimal size,
composed of material similar to that
found in the earth; will be consumed
by the thousands when they strike
our atmosphere, and but few will be
of substance enough to reach the
ground. The vast number likely to
be seen can be appreciated when it is
remembered that on the night of No.
vember, 27, 1872, ten thousand OF
these meteors were counted by q single
observer in two hours.
AS intimated, the earth on its pres
ent trip will only meet the advance
| Ruarl VI Guc SGlC CALL VI A1SeSoAS3 sASe
| in it's revolution about, the sun pours
itself across the November section OF
our orbit, but as the stream of me-
teors is about eight years long-that
is, eight years being required for the
entire stream to pass given point
we will meet it again in 1897, and the
next November, and the next, when
We will likely pass through its most st
dense portion, which il is about ~. loo,oo93
miles in thickness. Then for several
years itD number will grow less until
the last straggler has passed, when 1T
will continue to sweep on its course
and return to US again after third Of
a century has elapsed.
nis particular stream is far from
g the only one of the sort recog'
q and mapped out by astronomers,
there are about a hundred OF them
first reliable account of the ap'
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