Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1900-11-09
THE HEAVENS IN NOVEMBER.

the meteoric shower on tlfe 14th.
The first of these phenomena is of
little interest to Americans, since it
takes place when our side of the
earth is turned away from the sun
The path of annular eclipse lies
chiefly in the Indian Ocean, but
crosses South Africa at one end and
Western Australia at the other
The duration of the annular phase
is quite long, varying from five to
nearly seven minutes.
There is more hope that we may
see a great shower of the Leonid
meteors this year but those who,
like the writer, watched in vain for
them year ago, are disposed to fol-
low Hosea Biglow's advice, and not
TO prophesy unless they know
And there are several causes, any
one of which, If fully operative,
would prevent our seeing a conspic-
uous display.
In the first place, it has been
shewn, that the orbit of that part of
the meteor swarm which gave rise
to the shower of 1867 has been so
changed by the attraction of Jupiter
and Saturn that it no longer exactly
intersects that of the earth. If this
change is great enough to keep even
the outer parts of the meteor swarm
away from the earth's orbit, there
will be no more Leonid showers un
less at some future time their orbit
is changed back again by some fav-
orable planetary action. But it is
-by no means certain that the actual
change in the orbit is as great as
this.
Secondly.-The great showers of
Leonids recorded in recent times
were in 1893, 1888, and 1866, 1867
and 1868. Taking the middle of the
last three as the main shower, the
interval between showers comes out
"a years, instead of the previously
supposed 33H, and the uext great
shower is due in 1901, with perhaps
smaller ones in 1900 and 1909.
This theory, which is due to Pro-
] fessor w. H. Pickering, seems to
the writer of the present note to be
the most probable explanation of
the failure of the expected shower
in 1898.
Thirdly if the shower oc-
= ours, it may be that the impressive
u plrt of it, which lasts but a few
hours, may be visible only in the
. Eastern Hemisphere, and that we
may thus miss it.
In spite of all this uncertainty, il
will be well worth while to watch
the sky on the nights of the 14th
9 and 18th. For the great shower, il
Il it does appear, will be one of the
. grandest of all natural phenomena
and at the same time one of sufficient
> rarity to make it doubly important
not to lose a chance to see it.
II 1t will hardly worth while to start
III the watch before midnight, as a
that hour Leo has barely risen
l. Unfortunately, the waning moor
in this part of the sky, and only tht
2" brighter meteors will be visible
y But even so, should many of then
:. appear, the divergence of thes
u paths in all directions from tin
u radiant point" inside the sickle o
Leo will be conspicuous, and will
afford one of the finest natural ex
amples of perspective effect.
At p. m. ON November Is tn
rs most brilliant part of the sky is nea
80 the eastern horizon. Just south c
er east is Orion The line of his belt
q almost vertical, and the still bright
. er stars Betelgeux (on the left) an
tn Rigel (on the right afford a stril
ing contrast in color, the former be
c. ing a strong red, and the latter pu1
a.. white.
nd North of east and also low dowl
,la is Gemini, marked by the twin stal
Castor and Pollux, of nearly I'll
,rs first magnitude, south from whic
"a extend two lines of stars in which
,or little Imagination sees the TwiI
themselves. Above Orin, Aldebara
and the Pleiades mark the positiC
- =" of Taurus, and to the north, ov,
'i' Gemini, is Capella, the brighte
~ star of Auriga.
The great square of Pegasus is
to little past the meridian. A copspl
zen uous row of bright stars extent
from its northeast corner Andro1
m. eda and Perseus toward Aurig
on The huge extent of Cetus fills mo
the southeastern sky, and Ares
higher up. In the southwest d
or only conspicuous star is Formalhau
not Vega and Affair are we'll down
req the west, and CYgnus is higher u
Az Cassiopeia is almost above the pol
and the dipper is opposite, skirtii
NJ the northern horizon. To the rig