The times., 1899-03-08

take Il year before the end OF the mlSDlN
hos' was reached. Yet it moves at an as
toi ishiDg rate OF speed, sometimes exceed
ing twentysix miles second. pace If
teen hundred times swifter than the swift
est express train.
The width of this column shrinks into
insignifcance when compared with the
length: yet, when measured by ordinary
standards. it is prodigfous. From side to
side, the meteoric current extends at least
100, COO miles.
1t must be borne in mind that we can
never see these meteors until the moment
when they dive into our atmosphere. We
can, indeed. point our telescope at any
time to the spot in the heavens where we
know the great shoal is located. but the
mightiest telescope in the world cannot
disclose the shoal to us.
Curious Coincidence
In fact. we would never have seen these
Leonids at all and would never have be-
come conscious Of their existence but for
curious coincidence in the earths motion
and that of the meteoric procession. Our
Slobe pursues certain definite track
around the sun. Year after year it per-
forms the stages OF its journey with the
same undertaking regularity Thus, the
astronomer can indicate with more than
the certainty of railroad schedule the
point at which the earth will have arrived
at any given date. The Leonids, like the
earth. have certain track. II might OF
course have happened that one of these
tracks lay quite outside or inside of the
other. 1t would also have been possible
for one OF these tracks to pass through the
other so that the two orbits would have
been related in the manner of a pair OF
consecutive links Of a chain. Under each
OF these possibilities the two tracks would
have been quite independent We would
then have known nothing whatever about
the existence of this great procession OF
meteors. But it happens that the two
tracks actually intersect. The orbit of the
Leonids intersects the orbit of the earth.
II is to this accident we are indebted to
the glorious displays every thirty-three
years. This is the period which the swarm
OF little bodies requires for the completion
OF one circuit around their mighty path
Then for sixteen and a half years they
gradually retreat farther and farther away
from the neighborhood of this world. when
they begin to turn round, and after the
lapse of another sixteen and half years
whirl again into our vicinity
But there are stragglers in this mighty
host that do not keep up with the process
sion, as there are other meteors that rush
on faster than the main body As the
earth swoops across the highway il will
at the scheduled place and time. Thus it
is that from the 18th to the 18th of No
Vember in every year we often witness
some OF the shooting stars belonging to
this particular system. But they are
neither numerous enough nor brilliant
enough TO attract special notice save when
the thirty-three year cycle has been COM
pleted.
The Meteoric Current.
Then on Nnvau1ba,- ba
at the critical point of its path when it
plunges full into the meteoric current and
forges its way through it exposed to a per-
feet hurricane of the meteOrs that lie
directly in its track or are drawn within
its planetary influence. In untold my
riads the little missiles dash themselves
into the comparatively stagnant air case
that encompasses this globe, Destruction
swift and sure is the doom OF every meteor
that grazes our atmosphere The air
pressed hard against it, burns and cracks
it. perhaps scaling off small fragments
perhaps breaking ii into pieces of more
uniform size. In either case a fragment
may have still velocity enough TO burn
on for an instant in its new path and then
come inyisibly to the earth. The airs
resistance, fortunately. exceeds the earth's
attraction and the stones strike the ground
only with the force OF a spent cannon ball
unmindful Of the rapid voyage of our globe.
only become aware of the singular cosmical
event that is happening in space by seeing
beautiful shower of shooting stars.
The display lasts for few hours. or
until the earth has passed through the cur
rent and resumed its way through space
comparatively void.
Not until next November IL will the
earth return to the critical point in its or
bit where it crossed the meteoric current,
and by that time the whole of the great
shoal will generally have swept past and
onward along its own orbit. Sometimes,
however. it happens that even in year
the entire shCal has not passed the critical
point. Then the earth, passing through the
laggards. will be treated to another display
of celestial fireworks. By next year. how
ever. all will be over until the recurrence
of the cycle. when the great hosts pass
age of that point is coincident with the
earths.
Now we can understand how il is that
the great showers come every thirty three
years.
The approach of November 13 1899, will
therefore, fnd astronomers all over the
world prepared to give the Leonids
hearty reception.