The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-30

bright enough to have elected a note of
admiration on an ordinary night
This slower was best seen IN Europe
ir 1866, but in 1867 it was repeated, and
the observers in the United States were
treated to a magnificent spectacle Inc
researches of Prof. Newton, of New
Haven, and of Prof. Adams. of Cam
bridge, Eng. and others, have demon
strated that there is moving about the
sun, as center of attraction, great
bunch or group of meteors. This group
takes thirty-three and one-Quarter years
to make a complete circuit. Its orbit
plane Is inclined to the earths orbit,
and so related to 1t that the meteor
group crosses the earth's orbit at that
place where the earth comes about Nov.
1915 The enormous stream has a small
breadth IN comparison with its length.
DR. Storey has calculated that, If we
represent the orbit of the meteors by an
eclipse whose length is seven feet, then
the meteor stream will be represented
by a thread of the finest sewing silk
about one and one-half or two feet long,
creeping along the orbit.
In the heavens this ellipSe has an axis
over 1880, 100000 miles in length. At
aphelion the meteor group goes out be-
yond the orbit of the planet Uranus.
The real breadth of the stream cannot
be less than 100000 miles, and is prob
ably 300. 900 mites. In 1866 the earth took
five hours to go through, moving at the
rate of about eighteen miles second.
In 1857, when the earth returned to the
cross roads, the meteor stream was still
going by, and America, especially, had
splendid view. Even in 1868 the stream
had not gone by completely. There are
meteors scattered all along the orbit
path of the group, but there appears to
be only one group or bunch. We there
fore see meteOrs every year about Nov.
1915, but the grand shower comes only
when we strike into the punched stream.
The calculations of the great French
astronomer, LIE Verrier appear to in
dictate that, in 1876 A. D., the Leonides Gas
the swarm Is called, because the meteors
seem to radiate from Leo were moving
in an orderly manner around great
orbit which would take them past the
earth's orbit out almost to Jupiter, In
their nearest approach to the sun, and
then they would recede never to be seen
again in the solar system. But In that
year Q26 n. d. the planet Uranus was
near the swarm as they passed his orbit,
and he, by the power of his perturbing
attraction, pulled them back and caused
them to pursue q smaller orbit, the pres
ent path. Uranus captured for the solar
system this interesting group OF meteors.
The group is subject now, In its motion
around the sun, to disturbing effects of
pulls from the other planets, Jupiter,
Saturn and the earth These pulls make
the accurate calculations difficult, and
produce a little unc ertainty as to the
times of the showers
A few weeks after the 1866 shower of
Leonids the Astronomer Schiaparelli, of
Milan, published paper on the August
meteors Cor PerseidS, because their ra-
diant spot is in Perseus). He showed the
wonderful fact that a bright comet was
moving in the same path as the August
7smeteors. A little later Prof. Oppolzer, of
Germany, published his orbit of Tenn
peis comet of 1866. Then It was seen that
a remarkable coincidence existed between
the orbits of the November meteors and
Temples 1866 comet-the orbits were
practically identical.' Several years
later the meteoric shower radiating from
Andromeda was shown to be following
in the path of Biela's comet. Later yet
the April meteors were found to be asso-
ciated with a comet. -Four such remarka-
bic cases seem to prove a physical con-
nectton between comets and meteors.
Many astronomers hold that these me-
teor swarms are simply the result of
comets going to pieces under the action
of the sun during their successive returns
to perihelion. The earth's atmosphere,
Ball remarks, acts, In burning UP tine
cometary pieces, like a screen in protect
ing US from bombardment If the air
were less dense and thinner many more
meteors might get through to the earth
No meteorites have come to us from any
of the great showers.
Preparations are being made In many of
Of fIn oh,
the expected grand display. Some as
tronomers will try to photograph the
group before we reach the crossroads.
The sunlight striking the group may illu-
inmate the bunch sufficiently to be seen
by the Photographic eye before the earth's
atmosphere converts the group into myr-
lads Of veritable sky rockets.
Observers will watch the heavens and
will race, on prepared maps of the stars,
the track of any well observed meteor
Many of these tracks being obtained, the
radiant point can be determined This is
essential for calculation of the orbit
All who wish to see a wonderful sight
should be on the watch. 1t might be well
for those desiring to see the display to
arrange with the telegraph or telephone
companies, or with night Waterman, to
waken them in case the shower appears.
AS has been indicated, there are several
elements Oh uncertainty about the time
of the coming of the shower. It NAV
come little earlier or later than Nov.
1915, and some unknown effect of the
planetary pulls may so disturb the motion
Of the swarms that 1t may decline to put in
an appearance at all this year. If so, the
astronomer is quite certain that he will
see the display in the last year of the
present century-November, 1900 When
one sees the grand shower the words of
the Psalmist will come to mind:
The heavens declare the glory of God
and the armament showeth His handi-
work j. K. Rees.