The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-14
SKIES FILLED WITH METEoRs.
savannah star-sazers Have to Keep

savannah star-gazers Have to Keep
Late Hours to See Them.
last night and tonight were the nights
for the great meteor showers which as
+ronomers have been predicting. There is
scarcely clear night when the watchful
observer of the heavens may not see a me-
tsor or two; but there are special seasons
,r5 Years when these wanderers from out
or space stray into the earths atmosphere
in much greater abundance.
The most magnificent displays of this
class now on record were those of Novem-
her 1888 and 1856. A recurrence of the
phenomenon, in it's fullest glory, is not
Looked for by astronomers until 1889. But
the advance guard was visible In 1881 and
1852 and again in 1864 and 1866. There is
q reasonable chance, therefore, that if the
weather is fine at just the right time this
wear something out of the ordinary will be
witnessed.
Il is now generally believed that meteor
ties are the wreckage of comets. The
greatest swarms of these bodies now
known have been found to move through
vast ellptlcal orbits identical with those
OF comets that have gone to pieces. The
particular system here considered, known
as the Leonids, require over thirty-three
years to make a complete circuit, and,
therefore, it is only at such intervals that
the maximum number of particles in the
loose aggregation reach that point in their
Journey where they cross the earth's path.
But the procession is becoming gradually
strung out somehow, so that few of the
tiny, cold invisible bodies constituting the
swarm get to the meeting-place a year or
two ahead of time. Such as become SER
riousy entangled in the earth's atmos-
phere never get out again; for by friction
they are heated to incandescence-the
shine for a few seconds while being con-
stunned, and then leave only a trace of smoke
aud dust. But so enormous Is the num-
Der composing the main system that this
robbery, even to the extent of millions.
seems to make no sensible reduction in the
quantity that is left
The schedule time for the earth's arri-
val at the cross roads was last night and
tonight. w. F. Denning, one of the
great English authorities on meteor show
ers, says that a watch should be MAIN
tanned on the two following days also. The
stream Is wide as we'll as long, and, though
the meteorites are widely separated there
is a possibility of seeing some of them for
about four days. The spot in the skies
from Wnlcn these metGOrS seem to proceed
is in the constellation Leo. Every anna
teur star-gazer is familiar with the sickle
shaped combination of stars in this group.
What is called the radiant point" is in
side the hook of the sickle. Leo does not
rise until midnight at this season For
this and for other reasons the hours just
before dawn are more favorable to obser-
walton of Leonids. One should scan the
northeastern heavens for this purpose
In order to enable one to decide whether
any meteor which he sees belongs to the
thirty hree-year system, or some other,
1t is desirable to note from what region
in the skies it seems to start. 1t has been
suggested that amateur observers will find
it helpful to have a light, straight wand
within easy reach, if not actually in hand.
is held up against the sky to mark the
path approximately, and serves as a guide
to the eye after the luminous streak has
disappeared
The chances are that the visible starting
point will not be very close to the celestial
sickle; but if the line along which it
moves, being extended backward in i'm
agination, intersects Leo, then the meteor
may be safely regarded as a true Leonid,
no matter in what direction 1t travels-up-
ward, downward, sideways or slantwise.
Another test may be found IN the color
OF the shooting star. Leonids are usually
blue or green, though not invariably An
other set of meteors, seen in July and
August, and called Perseids, because thew
appear to come from the constellation Per-
seus, are usually yellowish.