Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1899-11-11
COflINd METEORlc SHOWER.
A Brilliant Celestial Spectacle rlay
be Seen Next Tuesday Night.

be Seen Next Tuesday Night.
Astronomers the world over are
greatly interested at present regard
ing the meteoric shower which has
been predicted to occur on the even
ing of Nov. 14th and will continue
into the morning of the 18th. If
calculations are correct watchers all |
over the earth will see a dazzling
shower of shooting stars. In this
vicinity the fireworks will start a
little before midnight but it will
probably be in The morning hours
when the brightest and largest of
these meteors can be viewed. Cloudy
skies may cut out the view and as
the moon will also be nearly full by |
next Tuesday night, some of the faint
trails will be obscured. But if the sky |
is clear, watchers will certainly |
be repaid if they indulge in little
star gazing.
To those unfamiliar with astronomy |
brief account of this great meteoric |
display may be of interest. Once |
everv thirty three years this shower
can be seen aud no such display as is |
now expected has been seen since
1866. These glittering particles of |
matter, shooting quickly downward
into space hold an attraction for
everyone and shooting star" is
always an object of interest.
In reality they are not stars for real
stars are distant suns, which shine |
by their own light. These falling |
bodies are wholly invisible outside of |
the earth's atmosphere but as they |
move with great velocity, the friction |
of the air causes them to beco me
Of a very high temperature and as
they enter the air surrounding our |
planet they become visible. Usually |
these falling bodies are so small that
they are entirely dissipated but
occasionally one larger than its fel-
lows will be able to resist this intense
heat superinduced by its rapid
motion and will reach the earth hence |
comes the meteor or shooting star.
These bodies consist of particles
| of matter, sand, dust and sometimes I
Large stones and rocks. The groups
Iseen may contain millions of stars
and although they may appear to
ttrayel closely together, yet they are
loften miles apart from each other.
T This Leonid shower or stream, as
lit is called by astronomers, makes its
Llong journey around the sun once in
Iabout thirty three years and moves
| in one. di ectien in it's path while the
eaxth's orbital motion is directly
opposite that of the stream.
Preparations are being made at I
Goodsell observatory for obtaining
photographs of this interesting show
er and charts have been prepared for
tracing the paths taken by the
meteors. After these tracks have
been obtained, the radiant point can
be determined, which is essential for
a calculation of the orbit. Careful |
observation with the telescope and |
pictures of the heavens taken at this
time will do much.to secure better
knowledge of this phenomena and
for this reason astronomers are pre-
pairing for the event in order that |
they may learn something new about
this strange occurrence in the
heavens.
AS this sight is SO unusual aud
probably the opportunity TO see it
will come but once in the average |
persons lifetime, an extra effort made |
to keep awake willnot be regretted. |
u ~