The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-07
THE NOVEMBER MErEoRs.
Astronomers All over the World
Looking Out for Them.


Looking Out for Them.
The advance guard of the great November
meteor swarm is due this month and on
the nights of the 18th, 18th and 18th ss,ron-
omers in all parts of the earth will be awake
and on the lookout. They will be both sur
prised and disappointed If a meteoric spec
tacle, which may be brilliant one, is not
behe!d by some Of the watchers. The main
swarm of meteors is not due until November
1893, but their advancing columns broken
into parallels and separated by considerable
gaps, occupy much space on the celestial
highways they traverse that millions OF the
mysterious little bodies must already have
reached the neighborhood of the earih's orbit.
and it can hardly happen that many of these
will not become entangled by the terrestrial
attraction, and dart their fiery spears through
the upper air.
The reader may like to be reminded that
this, the greatest known meteor shower"
has period of thirty-three ard one-quare r
years; that the history of these meteOrs has
been traced back to the year A. D. 1875 when
the planet Uranus Is believed to have cap
tured the wanderers and turned them into
permanent orbit around the sun; that a
comet CTempel's) is known to be travelling
in the same orbit with them, and that the
world was astonished at the magnifoence
OF the displays which they made in 1888 and
in 1865. At their return in 1866 changes
had taken pace in the array OF the meteors
indicating a considerable scattering and in
November, 1857 enormous bodies of them
were still rushing across the earth's orbit
ard another splendid display occurred
The point in the heavens from which the
meteors appear to radiate is situated within
the curved blade Of the imaginary "sickle"
which marks the constellation Leo. This is
III
the evening meteors radiatng from it may
be seen shooting upward from the north
eastern horizon. Observers are advised to
begin watching for them about II D. M on
Nov. IL, keeping up the watch for five nights
altogether and continuing it until tie morn
ing twilight begins. Fortunately, there will
be no trouble from the moon, which is new"
the 18th.
The November meteors are very swift in
movement, since the earth meets them ''head
on" and they frequently exhibit bri hit col
ors and leave brilliant trains. The Harvard
college observatory offers to send maps and
forms OF record to all who will take part in
systematic observation Of the meteors. If
the expected display on the 18th or 14th does
not equal expectation, another chance will
be presented on the night OF the 9th when
the celebrated Andromeda meteors are due
These are believed to be part OF the debris
nished dazzling spectacles in 1872 and 1885
Their period is thirteen years. During the
shower of 1855 iron meteor, supposed to
belong to the Andromeda swarm, and subse-
quently famous under the name of "a piece /
Of Biela's comet" fell at Mazapil in North
ern Mexico. Unlike the Nov. IL meteors,
which are known as the Leonids, the An
dromeda meteors are slow, because they
overtake instead OF meeting the earth. Their
viii interfere with the observation of these
meteors. whose radiant point is overhead be-
tween and 10 o'clock in the evening.-Gar-
rett P. Serviss in the Scientific American,
New York, Oct. 26.
A Party ON the Wrong Tack.
The Republican party is on the wrong
tack. It has been going wrong for the past
two years. 1t has cut away from the ira
ditions Of Washington and Lincoln. James
G. Blaine is no more among its prophets.
The Republican party of today looks Eng
IandWard. ENGLAND Ia tha aper,v 20