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

Will present an inspiring ana udZZlllS
display of meteors. Astronomers are
looking forward to the event with great
interest, and many preparations are be-
ing made in the observatories of the
world with a view 10 securing more COM
pete knowledge of this periodical phe-
nomena. BY means of careful telescope
observations and elaborate Photographic
records to be made in various locations,
it is hoped that we nay learn many new
things about these strange celestial Wis
itors from the unknown realms of space
into the atmosphere of the planet on
which we live No such display as IS eX-
pected in November has been seen since
1865 In view of this amazing natural
phenomenon the following article Will
prove particularly interesting. 1t was
prepared especially for this paper by j.
X Rees, professor of astronomy in Cor
nell university, New York.
All persons who watch the heavens and
gaze in admiring wonder on the glittering
stars see frequently apart runaway stars,
dashing among their fixed fellows, leav-
ing trails of light behind, and then, usu-
ally, in a second or two, disappearing
completely These stars seem to have
been shot out from previous fixed posi-
tion by some tremendous force which
makes the watcher think Of the action
of a great cannon, and hence the name
of shooting stars IS given.
The astronomer knows that these
shooting stars are not really stars.
Real stars are giant and distant suns
shining by their own light. These are
cold dead bodies, which become hot and
visible when they strike the air surround
ing the earth The velocity of their mo-
ton Is, on the average, about twenty-five
miles a second, and so when they dash
into the earth's atmosphere the friction
of the air produces a temperature OF
many thousand degrees The result is
that as these bodies are usually very
small, they are completely evaporated
and dissipated. Sometimes quite large
bodies are able to resist this tremendous
FRACTIONAL heating and then the reSldues
reach the earth. Such bodies when found
are called meteorites, meteorlc stones,
aerolites (air stones) or uranoliths (heaV-
en- stones.
Some consist of nearly pure iron with
nickel others are stony, and still others
are mainly stony with grains and globules
of iron Comparatively very few meteors
have been seen to fall. Their chemical
and meteorological character is such that
they can be identified as meteOrs, 1t IS
supposed, without any one seeing them
fall The number of shooting stars WISH
BILE to the naked eye Is far greater than
one would imagine who only glances at
the sky now and then. A single observer
can see on the average about five an
hour 3ut such a group Of watchers can
observe ordinarily only those stars which
shoot within 200 or 300 miles of their OBJ
serving station. If, therefore, the whole
earth were covered with observers enough
to see all the heavens, it has been cal
culated by the late Prof Newton, of Yale
university, that the number visible
daily would be between 15,000,000 and 20
100000. When, to this number, we add
those which are too faint to be seen by
the naked eye, we reach total which
may run up to 100000 900. We are there
fore forced to the conclusion that inter-
planetary spaces are quite rich in such
bodies. Investigations show that these
shooting stars are of a gregarious temper
ament. Millions travel together In the
same swarm or group. They have plenty
of room; the separate bodies frequently
being miles apart
The terrestrial inhabitant is hence treat
ed to a most awe-inspiring and dazzling
display when the earth encounters such
group.
counter next November about the 14th or
18th. If their calculations be correct,
watchers all over the earth may at the
time named see a splendid display of the
heavens fireworks. Clouded skies can cut
out any view, and as the moon will be
very nearly full on Nov. Is (full moon oc-
ours on Nov. 10 her light will certainly
obscure the faint trails of many shooting
stars.
iToa ~ oh ic haty on
midnight and the sunrise twilight. We
are then on the advancing front of the
earth and will see those meteors we catch
UP with or meet During the hours pre-
yious to midnight we see only those
shooting stars which overtake US on the
earth Riding on the cowcatcher of To-
connective engine in the midst of down
pour Of rain, we are certain to get wetter
than if We sat on the platform of the
rear car. The illustration is only sug-
gestive
The story of the November meteors' is
most interesting and instructive The as
tronomers have been able to work out the
life history of these mete3rs from the OBJ
serVations made. In 1893 s. Humboldt saw
from the Andes mountains a grand star
shower, and in 1888 there was another
great meteoric display Many thousands
Eell in the course of a few hours Prof
Newton, of New Haven, investigated the
matter, looked up old records of star
showers, and showed that there had been
great number of star showers occurring
lbCut thirty-three years apart and COM
Eg in the fall of the year He prophesied
hat the next return would be seen Nov.
S-14, 1866. The shower came, as was pre-
lcted.
Sir Robert S. Ball, of England, has de-
ICribed his view as follows:
The night was fine; the moon was alb
tent. The meteors were distinguished not
only by their enormous multitude, but by
heir intrinsic magnificence. 1 shall never
forget that night On the memorable
evening l was engaged in my usual duty,
1t that time Of observing nebula with
Lord ROSES great rejecting telescope Cat
Parsontown, Ireland). 1 was of course
aware that a shower of meteors had been
predicted but nothing that 1 had heard
prepared me for the splendid spectacle so
soon to be unfolded. 1t was about 10
o'clock at night when an exclamation
from an attendant by my side made ,ae
look up from the telescope lust in time to
see fine meteor dash across the slly. It
was presently followed by another. and
then again by others in twos and thraes,
which showed that the prediction of a
great shower was likely to be verified. At
this time the Earl Of Rose 0hen Lord
OXmantown) joined me at the telescope
ana, after brief interval, we decided to
cease our observations of the nebula and
ascend to the top of the wall of the great
telescope, from whence clear view of
the whole hemisphere of the heavens could
be obtained There for the next two or
three hours we witnessed q spectacle
which can never fade from my memory.
The shooting stars gradually increased in
numbers until sometimes several were
a f1au