The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1899-11-08
Celestial Fireworks May be Seen on
the Night OF November ii.

On the night of November IA, one ol
the grandest spectacles ever offered by
the heavens viii be witnessed in the form
/ of great fall of meteOrites. The display
will be repetition of those of 1888 and
1866, when astonished and at the same
time enlightened the astronomical world.
From the l4ih to the 10th of this month
the earth will pass through the path of a
swarm of me eors of wonderful extent,
! and the heavens will be illuminated by
the light OF millions of these little incan-
descent wonders. Scientists say that
very little is known of meteors. The
displays of previous years have only
been noted by visual observation, and as
a single meteor sheds light for something
readily be perceived that very little
could be learned of it during so short an
observation.
Astronomers are able now to calculate
within few hours the actual time of
the earth's entrance into the meteoric
swarm, but beyond this astronomical
knowledge is almost blank. The spec
trum of the mete RS is wholly unknown.
Several aborative attempts have been
made to photograph meteoric spectra,
but they have been uniformly unsuccess-
fnl. One photograph alone is in exist
ence. That was acciden ally secured by
the staff Of the llarva d observatory
when making an exposure for All entirely
different purpose.
This year the observation will b. some-
what handicapped by the fact that the
moon will be almost full, but in spite of
this, much more data will he secured
than upon either of the other two appear>
ances o great meteoric swarms during
the present century. Tens of thousands
of meteors will fall during the display.
The common theory of meteors now
given widest credence among scientific
men is that they are wandering frag-
ments of planetary matter held in fair
ly regular orbit by the suns attraction.
The swarms which have twice before il
Illuminated the heavens since the dawn of
the present century are believed to have
been connected in some way with Bieas
comet, which was last seen in 1866, and
which is supposed to have been shattered
into almost iofinite particles by a collis-
ion with some heavenly wanderer.
Regarding the approaching meteoric
display, Professor William A. Harkness,
who is in charge Of the astronomical de-
partment of the United States Govern
ment Naval Observatory, says:
I'VE are unable to predict the exact
hour at which the November meteoric
showers will begin. From the best pres
ent estimates it may be expected that the
showers will reach maximum at am,
on the morning of the 18th OF November.
They will probably begin three or four
hours earlier than this to fall in small
bursts. They will continue throughout
| the morning of the 18th of November,
and will be more er less observable dur
ing the evenings and mornings OF the
18th, 10th, and 18th of November, al
though on each succeeding day the mum
! Der of meteors observable will diminish.
"These meleors aud meteorites vary in
weight FROM few grains to many pounds.
They strike the earth's atmosphere at a
height of seventy four miles aud begin to
burn, being entirely consumed when
they are at height of fifty miles.
"The phenomenon ofa great meteoric
shower is generally a perfectly nOiseless
one. When the streak is first formed il
is narrow and perfectly straight, but snon
becomes serpantine, and assumes an ir-
regular figure as it drifts along the infu-
ence of the wind currents of the upper
region of the atmos Yh re. These streak
or tails are Of various colors, ow ng part
lv to the composition of their elementary
substances and partly to their altitude
Some are of a delicate greenish hue, while
others light up the skies with a ruddy
glow. Streaks of orange red aud white,
with blush white, comming g to form a
most remarkable and beautiful spectacle
Occasionally an orange colored meteor
may be observed, leaving in its wake a
streak of green.
"Many valuable results will no doubt
be gained from this years observations.
This will be the first time III their his
tory that the Leonids will be the center
of a systematic observation throughout