The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-15
COMING FALL OF METEORS.
GREAT CELESTIAL SPECTACLE DUE
ABOUT NOR. 1918.
The Earth Will Encounter This Year the
Stream of Meteors That Made the Sky
Brilliant in 1888 and 1S68-Prepara-
lions of Astronomer to Observe 1t.

All persons who watch the heavens and gaze
in admring wonder on the glittering stars sec
frequently apparent runaway stars, dashing
among their fixed fellows, leaving trails OF light
behind, and then usually, In second or two
disappearing completely. These stars seem to
have been shot out from a previous fixed position
by some tremendous force which makes the watch
ers think of the action of a great cannon. and
hence the name Of shooting stars ia given
The astronomer knows that these shooting
stars are not really stars Real stars are giant
and distant suns shining by their own light
They are cold dark bodies, which become hot
and visible when they strike the air surrounding
the earth. The velocity OF their motion is on
the average, about twenty five miles second.
and so when they dash into the Earth's atmos
phere the friction Of the air produces a tempera-
t,irc Of many thousand degrees. The result IL
that as these bodies are usually very small. they
are completely evaporated and dissipated Some
times quite large bodies are able to resist this
tremendous frictonal heating and then tho resi-
dues reach the earth. Such bodies when found
are called meteorites. mcteonc stones, Hrolites
(ar-stones) or uranoths (heaven stones)
Some consist Of nearly pure iron with nickel.
others are stony and still others mainly stony
with grains and globules of iron. Comparatively
very few meteors have been seen to fall. Their
chemical and neurological character Is such
that they can DO identified moteors. II is sup
posed. without any seeing them fall The
number Of shooting stars visible to tho naked eye
Is far greater than ono would imagine who only
glances at the sky now and then. single OBJ
server see. the average, about Ave an hour.
But such group Of watchers observe. ordinar-
lily, only those stars which shoot within two or
three hundred miles of their observing station.
II, therefore, tho whole earth were covered with
| observers enough to see all the heavens, 1t has
been calculated. by the late Prof Newton Of Yale
University, that tho number visible daily would
be between fifteen millions and twenty millions.
When TO this number add those which are too
faint 10 be seen by the naked eye We reach total
which may run up to one hundred millions We
are therefore forced to the conclusion that inter
planetary spaces are quito rich In such bodies
Investis atoms show that these shooting stars
are of gregarious temperament. Millions
travel together in the same swarm or group. They
have plenty OF room the separate bodies fire.
quently being miles apart.
The terrestrial inhabtant is hence treated to a
most awe-inspirng and dazzling display when
the earth encounters such group Astron-
omers expect to see such encounter next No
yember. about tho 14th or 10Th II their cacula-
tons 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 the moon will DO very nearly
full on Nov. Is dull moon occurs on Nov. 10 her
light will certainly obscure the faint trails Of
many shooting stars
The best time 10 observe is between midnight
and the sunrise-twilight. We are then on tho
advancing front Of the earth and will see those
meteors we catch up with or meet During the
hours previous TO midnight We see only those
shooting stars which ovcrtake us on the earth
Riding on the cowcatcher OF locomotive engine
in the midst OF a downppur Of rain we are certain
TO get wcter than il we sat the platform Of the
rear car. The illustration is only suggestive.
The story of the November meteors is most
interesting and instructive. Tho astronomers
have been able to work out the life history of these
meteors from the observations made In 1899
Humboldt saw from the Andes Mountains a grand
star shower. and in 1888 there was another great
mctcoric display. Many thousands fell in the
course of few hours Prof Newton OF New
records OF star showers and showed that there
had been great number of star showers occurring
laii OF me year lie prophesied that the next
return would be seen Nov. 1914. 1856. The
sh Sir p came as Vas T,li, predicted
MS view az follows; The night was fine tho
moon was absent The meteors were disting uished
not only by their enormous multitude. but by
their intrinsic magnifcence. | shall never forget
that night On the memorable evening was
engaged IN my usual duty at that time of observing
nebule with Lord Rose great rejecting tele-
scope at Parsonstown, Ireland. Twas, of course
aware that shower of meteors had been predicted
but nothing that had heard prepared me for the
splendid spectacle so soon to be unfolded II
was about 10 o'clock at night when an exclam-
alton from an attendant by my side, made me
look up from the telescope iust In time to see
iine meteor dash across the sky. 1t was presently
BY snothe5 and then again by others
Of a great shower was likely to be verified Al
this time the Earl Of Rosse Chen Lord Oman
town Joined me at the telescope, and, after brief
interval, we decided to cease our observations of
the nebulae and ascend TO the top OF the wall OF
the great telescope, from whence clear view of
obtained. There for the next two or three hours
we witnessed a spectacle which can never fade
from my memory. The shooting stars gradually
Increased In numbers unit sometimes several
were seen at once. Sometimes they swept over
the left, but they all divergcd from the east As
the night wore on the constellation of Leo assembled
above Tie horizon. and then the remarkable char
acter Of the shower was disclosed. All the tracks
Of the meteors radiated from Leo Occasionally
luminous trains would linger on for many minutes
after the meteor had flashed across, but the great
majority OF the trains in this shower were evan
escent. II woult be impossible to say how many
was bright enough to have ELECTED note Of ad-
miIation on any ordinary night"
l., This shower was best seen In Europe in 1866.
but IN 1857 was repeated and the observers In the
tacle The researches of Prof. Newton OF New
and others. have demonstrated that there is NOV.
ing about the sun, as centre OF TRACTION great
nunCn or group OF mcporS. ms group takes
thirty three and One-quarter years 10 make q com
plcte circuit Its orbit plane is inclined 70 the
earthS orbit and so related to il that the meteor
group crosses the earthS orbit at that place where
the earth comes about Nov. 1915 The enormous
stream has small brcadthin comparison with its
length. Dr Storey has calculated that il we rep
resent the orbit Of the mctcOrs by elipse whose
length is seven feet then the meteor stream will be
represented by thread Of the finest sewing silk
about foot and half or two feet long, creeping
along the orbit
In the heavens this ellpse has an axis over 800
millions Of miles in length. Ataphclion the meteor
group goes out beyond the orbit Of the planet
Uranus. The real breadth of the stream cannot be
less than10OO0O miles, and is probably 800 900
miles In 1855 the earth took five hours 70 go
through il moving at the rate Of about eighteen
miles second In 1861 when the earth returned To-
the cross roads the meteor stream was still gong
by, and America, especially, had a splendid view
Even in 1868 the stream had not gone by com
pletcly There are meteOrs scattered all along the
orbit path OF the group, but there appears 10 be
only one group or bunch We therefore see meteors
every year about Nov 1915, but the grand shower
comes only when We strike into the stream
The calCulh ions Of tho great French astrono-
mer lie NerrlcT appear TO indicate that in 1926 A. D.
the leonids taS the swarm is called because the
meteOrs seem 10 Tadate from Leo were moving
in nm orderly manner around great orbit which
Won Id take them past the csrth's orbit out almost
To Jupiter, their 4 anDTOacb 4, he n