Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1899-11-09
How to See The Meteors.

One Of the uRndest speetacles Afforded b. the
heavens OF the gran1cst natural sPegtaces Of all
history will be witnessed on the nigh; Of the 18th Of
November next
This spectacle the great fall of metorities known
the Leonds. 1t only once in SO years, and
its next appearance will be visible from Spokane ard
also from nearly the whole surface Of the globe.
Two thousand million miles OF mcteors will then
flash past The earth
The meteorites will touch the atmosphere of the
earth and become ignted by the rapidty Of their
fight Countless millions Of them viii tall, and they
will appear red, white orange green and all the col
ors Of the rainbow. The fact that they ignite and
dissolve on contact with the atmosphere is all that
the earth from destruction BY them.
In Washington the scientists at the United States
naval observatory making the most elaborate pre-
paratons for observing the coming appearance Of the
Leonids. Harvard university is preparing to spread
broadcast throughout the country tabular Sheets
which bear directions for individual observation and
record. The colleges universities and astronomical
obscryatoreS of the United States and Of the whole
civilized world making ready for the Lconils and
eagerly awaiting the night OF the 1ith Of Noyem
Der.
It has been only within this century that astruno
mers have discovered the cause Of the great Noyem-
Der meteorc Showers nor was II until Teinpel found
that the Leonds are the fragments Of former comet
that astronomers assured OF their periodCity.
Now, however, predictions concerning the time when
they will revisit the earth can be ventured with a
great degree of eSactitude.
HOW TO WATCH FOR THEN HERE.
For some years past the astronomical world has
been prepared with the visual and Photographic APP
panccs for the possible return of the great meteore
showers The critical time from November 18th to
nth passed each year, but the fiery myrlads that
transform the face of the sky during their Hight came
not, and indication appeared OF their approach.
This year they fully due and despite the moon
light which will come with the dusk and lnger tin
dawn, one Of the most marvellous sky scenes Of the
century is probably at hand 1t is an occasion that
enlist with good results the small telescope a,
well as the large the humble $50 camera well as
the $50 600 Photographic lens, and on which naked
eye observation can be valuable supplementary aid
The chief evidence available 80 the orbit Of the
vast eniongated swarm OF mcteors is the routes Of
those members Of it that reveal their existence by
luminous streak, when gnited in the earths atmos
phere.
Careful calculations as to the effect of planetary
attraction have been recently completed by conpu
tiers the staff OF the English Nautical Almanac,
and it is expected that portion Of the main swarm
will be IN the act of speeding the earths path
on November 18th at the hour which corresponds t,
10 p m. in this longitude
Professor w. II. Pickering OF Harvard observatorS
considers that the direction in which the creates
number OF shooting stars are likely to appear in TIN
evening hours is towards the west and southwest a
moderate attitudes; and in the morning hours in
less scattered area south of west. For cameras how
(Which it is TO be earnestly hoped will be numer
and ygilant III this land Of successful photogra
phy) the zenith and radiant points yield the best
suits
The radiant point, in right ascension hours an
IS minutes and in north dcchnation % degrees
minutes, rises before midnight. 1t is between Gan
ma and Epsilon in the constellation OF Leo, fror
which the Leonds, shooting stars take their name
Though the actual encounter with a dence portion
the swarm lasts a few hours, small temporary show
ers Of falling stars large reballs sometimes detonat
ing often with lingering trails may be looked for o
several nights
Should the earth meet only few score Of Leonid!
such as are visible every November there ground
for surprising that the larger planets, Jupiter an
saturn especially in recent times, caused the metori
orbit to curve somewhat away from the earth's orbit
thus hlndering or delaying the periodic encounte
for or two years In the latter case, observer
will have the compensation Of moonless sky
background for the celestial picture Spokane Chro
| icIe.