The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-11-11

IInttT Offers, next WEEK <Asiue - oi'
t..osc In charge of the phctcsrap h.ns. lao
staff will be divided INTO counters, sn1ne-
keepers record rs, cioud-ooservers st9
not, INTERRUPTION Il. the ohseryatons), and
draugh .srnea.
The matter of time rs, OF course. most
,r,nnrtant 4 s.o,i,; will strike automati-
cal!y every ten minutes, SO as 70 ai1oru
a. constant check on the OBSERVATIONS al
tho beginning of observaf on tae couii '.s:
will hive stationed themselves DO wilttsii
the portion OF the sky containing the con-
sta1at4on of tho Lion. and count tle
motors as they appear, while the tiine-
keepers note tils t.Ine CT each as eAaclg
as possibe-a difficult undertaking Wheh
tits remembered that the meteofs may
possibly fall at tas rate OF over ~ y a
minute. Tho record will serve to identi15
M OF AT least a great many, OF the
meteors by 4 serial nnmbef anu tic '.isas
recorded.
The general observers VIII look Tor
spec.ai features. like the magnitude, color,
whether the stars explode or not, ana
whether trail appears. A general op-
server. for example. may note that the
18TH meteor marked 10y the counter was
yellow ind left a trail lasting ten sec
onds, and That its path was from near
some standard star to another standard.
His notes can be com AIRED later with the
observation sheets of the other observers.
With each general observer Will be a re-
corier, TO note according to n code the
phenomena which he announces.
The 6-augiftsnell will be supplied with
maps OF the region around the consteila-
ton Leo. and ,iaey will draw the path as
well as possible of each notable meteor
The direction and Inc of the 1l2rh me1eoT.
for instance, its brightness and the CHAR
acter OF its tiuit, are useful facts Inc
matter Of brish Illness necessitateE the
quickest observation, which offers, how
ever, no special difficulty when one mas
nothing else TO attend to. me scare
adopted III one may go into technfcai
deta.ls for a. no,nent) is to assign a mag
nitude of n.Eus to a meteor mite
brighter than Sirius or Jupiter: Q. II eduat
to CapeI.a; 2, II equal to Gamma Icons,
the bright star in the blade Of the o-chie,
which stands ont ciearest in tho constei-
latio-l Leo: 4, If equal to A1u Icons, the
second next star 10 Gamma in the s.chle;
5, TO faint meteors generally.
s year ago the Harvard Observatory
asked for the corporation Of observers
all over the werld-not only astronomers.
but intelligent laymen everywhere-and
full circular Of rules to govern such on
servers was sent out by tho University.
The most important part OF the circular
IS a follows:
The most important time for onser-
walton is from midnight until dawn. as
comparatively few mctecrs are expected
earlier. Observations are particularly
needed at hours when they cannot DE
made at the observatories of Europe anu
America IN general. the time required
for ten or more meteorS TO appear In the
region covered by the accompanying map
should be recorded This observation should
be repeated every hour or half hour II
all those appear ng upon the map, the
observer should confna his attention eX-
c!usjveiy to some small region. such as
that included between the stars Mn ufsae
Majoris. 40 Lvncis. and Delta and Alpha
Leonis. II the meteors occur put seldom,
one every five minutes, Tor instance. the
time and class of each meteor should be
recorded Also note the time during wnicn
the sky was watched and no meteors seen
and the ME during which that portion CT
the sky was obscured by clouds. Passing
clouds or haze, during the time OF ooseT-
walton. should also be recorded. Inc aa1e
should be the astronomical day, begin
ming at noon: that is, the date OF early
morning observations should be that OF
The preceding evening. Specify what time
IS used. as Greenwich. Standard or Local
time When meteor bursts make sec
ond observation Of its light and color, and,
when it leaves a trail record the motion
OF the latter by charting the neighborins
stars, and sketchng its posit on among
them at short intervals. until 1t appears,
rotinC the time OF each observation- III
the path OF the meteor is surely curved.
record j. carefully upon the map.
GREATEST CARE.
''Photogra pfs may be taken, first. by
leaving the camera at rest When the
images OF the stars VII trail over the plate
and appear as lines: or. secondly, attach
irsr lla euEatOrl9I teie-
scope moved by clockwork. when chart
OF the sky will be formed, in which the
stars will appear rs points a rapld-recti-
linear lens is 70 be preferred in the first
case. a tle-ansle lens in the second
The full aperture should be used, and IS
large q plate as can be covered The
most rapid plates are best for this work:
they should be changed once an hour, and
the exact times Of starting and stopping
recorded Care should be taken to stifen
the camera by braces. SO that the focus
will not be changed when the instrument
Is pointed 20 different portions OF the sky,
especially IL the lens IS heavy. II the
first method is employed the position OF
the camera should he changed after each
plate. so as to include as much as possible
Cf the region OF the map on i each photo
graph. II pointed n little southeast Of
Epsilon Leonis, the radiant will reach the
centre of the field about the m ddle OF the
exposure a Wdtcn OIL the region Siou!S
also be kepe, and the exact time o. appear
ance and path OF each meteor as bright
as the Pole Star should be recorded The
plates should be numbered on the film
side with pencil. and should be sent to
this Observatory with ACCOMMODATING notes
md other observations. After measure
ment here they VIII be returned Il desired.
The value OF the results will be much
n"rcaSad II similar nhofoeranns can be
obtained by q second camera from ten to
forty miles distant, and preferably north
or south of the other"
Amateur observers interested III watch
ing the meteors may find the constellation
OF the Lion readily by taking the Great
Dlpper as 4 starting point 1t will be re-
merbered that the two outside stars Of
me f,o'r' rs ~. -'',-,a- .,c.d fo- -o'ni-
ers TO the Poie Ster. Take the other two
stars OF The bow as po nters, In tbs oa-
paste direction. TIL large first rnagni-
tude star Is reached. about ten times the
d'saace between the two 30 nters. This
star Will be found to be a the END Of thu
handle of rather close representation of
sickle. which is the r>ost obvious picto.
rial character of Leo. The radiant OF thn
-neteo-s Is a little north of the centre Of
The sickle. The paths Of the meteor-
WI aooear shorter as one approaches the
.l ,,,,