The times., 1898-11-14
NO SHOWER OF STARS.
Clouds Prevented observations La.
Niuht


Night.
No meteoric showers were observed by
the astronomers at the naval observatory
last night The conditions were unfavor-
able. Thick clouds hung low and rain
fell In an intermittent way.
A few of the observers lounged around
hoping that the sky might clear, but
majority of the astronomers, deferred by
the unpropitious weather, did not go to
the observatory at all.
Mr.. Dennis Horrigan, who has been
connected with observatories for many
years, kept his eye on the sky until mid
night, but no meteors were visible. II
the weather changes for the better OBJ
servations may be made tonight. 1
These periodic displays of shooting stars
are of absorbing interest to astronomers,
but very little has been determined con-
cerning their origin and nature. 1t is
considered as established that the stellar
showers of November have their origin
beyond the atmosphere of the earth, de-
scending to us from some body which,
from the known constitution of the me-
teors, has been called nebulous body,
which the earth encounters and near or
through the borders of which 1t passes.
1t has practically been determined that
this body has an Independent existence
as member of the solar system, its
periodic time being either a year, or half
year, so that for number of years in
succession the two bodies meet near the
same point of the earth's orbit.
1t has been further established that the
meteors consist of light combustibe mat
ter; that they move with great velocities,
amounting in some instances to velocity
not less than that of the earth in its
orbit, or nineteen miles second; that
some of the bodies are of large size.
sometimes nearly or quite mile in diam
eter: that when they enter the atmos-
phere they rapidly and powerfully con-
dense the air before them, and thus elicit
the heat which sets them on fire, as a
spark is elected in an air-match by be-
ing suddenly condensed by means of 4
piston and cylinder.
II has been accepted by astronomers
that these meteors are burned up at a
considerable height above the earth,
sometimes not less than thirty miles.
1t has been suggested that this so-called
nebulous body is the same as that known
as the Zodiacal Light, and that these
meteors are attracted to the earth when
our globe passes close to this Zodiacal
Light.
Denison Olmstead, at one time profess
sor of natural philosophy and astronomer
at Yale, has written that the attention
of astronomers was first directed to these
annual star showers on November 13.
1888. On that day from a. m till day.
light, the sky being serene and cloudless,
the heavens were lighted up by a mag
niicent display of stellar lights
On tracing back the lines of direction
in which the meteors moved, it was
found that they all appeared TO radiate
from the same point. which was situated
near on one of the stars in the constel-
lation Leo, named Gamma Leonis and In
every repetition of the meteoric showers
of November the meteors have appeared
to radiate from the same place
Soon after this occurrence II was as
certained that similar meteoric shower
had appeared in 1889, and what was then
considered very remarkable, almost ex-
actly at the same time of the year. 1t
soon appeared. from accounts received
from other parts of the world, that the
same phenomenon had occurred on No.
vember II, u and 13 in 1880, 1881 and 1892.
Since that time the showers have been
observed annually