New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-19
PLANS TO PHOTOGRAPH METE0Rs.
| CAMERAS PLACED SO AS TO COVER ADA
CENT PARTS OF THE HEAVENS.

MANY O, the plans for photographing meteors
this year were so made that a second station wa
established only few miles from the pfiioipaA
one The object OF such an arrangement wa ~
ascertain the height OF some OF the more o'iiNa"s
meteors II the same object was reSistereo on '''o
sensitive plates exposed at points three or io1i
miles apart the recorded trails would pursuo
slightly different paths among the fixed starr.
That apparent difference in route taken Win ',,s
distance between Photographic stations wo.e
enable an expert "a campute the elevation o. mo
meteor both at the beginning and END OF i's 'iS'''
career.
At Yale University. where meteors have been the
subject OF special investigation for more than hair
century DR. Elkin has long been In the haoit OF
mounting a battery of several cameras so as 10
cover different but adjacent regions OF the neaVenS
whenever a meteor shower was anticipated. ineso
instruments attached TO polar axis, which
is rotated by cockwork and which enables inc
cameras 10 follow the fixed stars with precision.
Last year the principal station was supplemented
with one out In Hamden. a few miles away anu
photographs were taken at both places ms year
a new device, invented by DR.. Chase. mas oeen
brought into play A simple arrangement OF sHu.
ters on a camera moving at a known rate OF speeo'
will Il is believed, enable an expert 10 determine
the velocity OF any meteor which Is registered o"
the sensitive plate.
Professor Pickering director OF the Harvard OBJ
servatory who sent out instructions TO volunteers
in Photographic work several weeks ago. oeVeiopeo
his own plans for work at Cambridge and neignoor-
ING noInts 10 a greater degree than ever. spectro-
scopic research is a speciality OF Harvard and rro-
fessor Pickering has sought TO obtain speesra oI
meteors this year in addition TO his other petnres.
He has also suggested method OF osciiiaeihs
camera so as TO measure velocitles ~, VII.
At the Yerkes observatory, Williams Say W. =;
the sky remained cloudy yesterday until iate an ~
the day AT that point Director Hale he;o " reaat-
ness a large rejecting telescope; PROVIDED Win COL
cave Photographic pates and eignteen oa11 ~
lenses OF various sizes, three OF them covered py
prsms party equipped with photographlo te e~
scope also stationed ABOUT tIree nii'eS oS~
south OF the observatory 49,. -
BY establishing pairs OF Photographic statons, a.
20 customarv al Yale Harvard. Yerkes and other
observa tories the attempt is made TO ascertain the
exact height OF some Of the more CONSPICUOUS
meteors recorded. Careful comparison OF the plates
obtained shows that the path OF a giyen meteor
among the fixed stars is slightly different az ono
station from that observed at the other Ins oiner-
ence taken with the distance OF the stations from
each other, affords the means OF calculating the
end OF its trail. Thus brilliant hrepal seen IN
England last August estimated TO be seventy
seven miles above the earth at the beginning OF
its terrestrial career and twenty-seven at the close