The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-13

Tomorrow night and the night after IS
looked forward to with considerable inter
est by astronomers the world over, and
even tonight already interest is excited. In
its passage around the sun the earth
crosses the orbit or path of several cius-
tiers Of meteors On November IS each
year il crosses the path OF the Leonids
number OF shooting stars are seen each
time, but these are only meteors that have
strayed from the main body
The expected shower Of Leonids will De
visible over the most Of the United States,
, and 1t is looked for on account OF the meet
ing of the earth and tremendous cluster
OF passing meteors. They are called Leon
ids because they appear o-radiate from the
constellation Leo
It is only very recently that statements
have been made to the effect that the show
er may be seen this year prominent
scientist says:
There is just as much reason to expect
the shower of the Leonids to fall this year
as there was year ago. From some points
Of view there is a greater probability OF
the occurrence of the fall 1t would seem
rather strange in view Of the more or less
exact regularity of the occurrence OF these
showers every thirty-thTee years that this
period should be passed without shower
! At TINS time
1t can now be stated that there have
/ been two possible explanations advanced
! by scientists for the non-appearance Of the
| showers last year.
Since the last great shower in 1861.
/ Jupiter has passed quite close 10 the poT-
ton Of the orbit containing the meteors
/ due in 1899 and has, according 70 calcutta
! tons, SO perturbed their path as 10 make
/ them cross the plane of the earJh's orbit
J hry-,I o=71 mil do he
orbit, that is, nearer the sun, so that the
| earth might not have passed through the
/ swarm, which is narrow.
The other possible explanation is that
| there was simply a dcaFth OF meJeors in
the portion of the swarm encounter ed by
| the earth in 1899, and there is no reason
| to suppose that they are evenly distrib-
| uted-
1T is possible that the portion of the
| stream due at the intersection OF he
| earth-s orbit this year in November has
not been perturbed by the influence of
! Jupiter in the same way as that CT LIST
l year
1T should be borne in mind. however.
| that we shall be extremely fortunate L
4 We see it here in its full glory. fer, as
/ pointed out last year, as IL VII last only
] four or FIVE hours. the earth may pass
/ through the stream while 1t is day Win
US. c. before the radiant is above the
/ horizon, that is, before II O'clock in the
evening"
A recurrence OF the phenomenon was
| looked for by astronomers p This 3afe
year and elaborate preparations were made
il Europe and America 10 observe and
| photograph the display. but il was no
greater than in ordinary years British
and American astronomers have since care
| fully revised last years calculations and
! they think that the meteoric stream had
been DETECTED two and three-quarter mil
/ lion miles from the earth's orbit by the in
I fiuence OF our planet and that It viii be
seen this year Their appearance. how
/ ever, is still uncertain.
1 Special arrangements have been made al
/ different universities for observing and
photographing the display The obseTya-
tory of Prof. Post at Bayport viii be used
At Harvard Prof. Pickering and his asso-
ciates have not given up hope of seeing The
display. but their preparations are less ex-
tensiye than those made last year Prep
arations for the same purpose have beer
made at the Naval Observatory in this city
at the Lick Observatory, and in many edu-
cationaI institutions. In addition TO these
it is needless to say that thousands OF ana
! teur astronomers viii be on the lookout.