Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-11-08
STARS TO FALL NEXT WEEK.
The Greatest Astronomical Display
since 1888.
lNew York TImes-ILhl

New York Times-lthD
Professor j. X Rees told about railing
stars and the meteOric display expected
next week in an illustrated lecture last
night before the New York Academy OF
Sciences, at Y west Thirty-first street.
The stereopticon illustrations were
made from drawings OF famous astrono-
mers which were based upon obserVa-
lions made from time 20 time since 1895
III is calculated" said Professor Rees,
that the meteoric exhibition next week
will be the greatest since 1893, and will
FAR outshine that Of 1866. About every
thirty-three years the same astronomical
phenomena are Observable ana 1t VIII
be strange If New Workers do not have
the spectacle vouchsafed to them some
night next week.
at may be- however, that here the
meteors will fall IN the daytime, and, in
that event. there will be little 20 be seen.
The German astronomers nave sent an
expedition 10 India especially 10 observe
the forthcoming display showing that
they calculate that Europe and the
United states will this year be deprived
OF a nocturnal fan of stars
still" said the lecturer in a con-
solatory way iii the fall occurs here
i'm the daytime, We will see a fairly good
exhibition next year"
He went on TO demonstrate that in about
every thrty-three and quarter years the
earth I'm it's revolutions around the sun
ran into swarms of meteors. These are
particles OF comets that have disinte-
grated by repeated explosions. In 1888
and I'm 1896 some of the meteOrs, or fall
ing stars" were as bright as the fun
moon, and IL the conditions next week
are favorable equally brilliant heavenly
displays may be visible.
The observer. the Professor suggested,
should look up I'm the northeast about mid
night Tuesday and wednesday of next
week Should the heavens furnish no un-
usual spectacle. then about / o'clock on
the morning of November 18th ought 10
repay their yigls. Nari-colOred meteors
are promised 70 shoot through space and
an aerial panorama such as may not be
visible for AT least another thltty-thfe-
years Is confidently expected.
I'm Boston IN 1873 2lOO0O falling stars
were computed 10 have been visible IN the
eight hours duration Of the phenomenon.
About the same number were seen I'm the
same time I'm Europe I'm 1866. Sometimes
the dropping stars explode rlcOChetting
I'm eccentric lines and making a fiery
prism Of the heavens. These meteOrs
travel AT the rate Of from twenty-six 90
f0rty-four miles a second. ana each Is
visible only for a second or two, and
often for only a fraction Of a second.
When they get within the earth's atmos-
phere, the heat becomes so great that
they are consumed. or as it were, evap-
GRATED. No falling star i'm these showers,
declared the Professor, had ever reached
the earths surface.
Or. Elkin, Professor of Astronomy at
Yale. has made elaborate preparations 10
photograph the expected phenomena. At
Harvard. too. and at most Of the other
universities, extensive preparations have
been made The Federal Government has
placed the astronomical apparatus at
West Point at the service Of Columbia
University, and many photographers i'm
New York have offered their cameras 10
the university Observers.