The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-11-13
WATCHING FOR LEONIDS
The Most Brilliant of Meteoric
Showers Now Expected.
NOT CERTAIN TO CONE THIS YEAR
They Have Appeared and Been Observed
Three Times In Zach Ceutary STAGE ife
Year 902-Make the Heavens seem
Aname-Were Due n Year AEe-Obser-
vers on Dnty mt Naval Telescopes
They VIII Appear In the East.

Luminous Leonids. the wandering williss
OF the planetary system, are expected to
lombard the heavens this week They
are the brilliant meteorites OF the cor
stellation Leo. popularity known as shoot
ing stars, calculated 70 return every tnir-
I ty-three years, and were due last Novern-
Der. Astronomers anticipated their com
ing with ecstasy, and the civilized world
gazed skyward night after night with a zeal
that was only rewarded by a sight of the
iuh moon and an occasional sporadic
stream OF fire sulh as RAY be seen al
most any clear evening. The great Hum
eoldt writes Of the meteoric shower seen
by himself in the year I7S9. History re-
cites the alarm and CONSERVATION oc-
easioned when the stars fell" in 1893.
they were again viewed in 1856, since
winch time they have not been seen.
FOR more than nine centuries these tri-
century runs never failed until last year.
ana later-day astronomers are perplexed
as to whether they will miss fire again
this year. They may not come until 1901.
or perhaps the following year, but they
are eagerly expected, and unless certain
laws controlling the heavenly bodies have
ceased 10 act in their regard it is argued
mat there is no earthly reason why the
Leonid shower should fail. The only ex-
pianaton for meteOric derelictiOn is the
possibility OF miscalculation in time.
FOR all the astronomers know, the fiery
swarm may have gone to pieces on its
long-traveled path and some aWe-inspir-
ing phenomena may now be in prepare
tion- IL the display comes this year it is
expected before Friday night. Last night
was the first, tonight the second. and
tomorrow the third upon which this
years visitation is expected.
Attn Naval Observatory.
At the Naval Observatory two experts
were on duty from midnight until day
| break this morning. and the northee ST
heavens were eagerly scanned in vain.
Prof. A n. Skinner was at the observa-
tory during the early portion of the even
Ing making some observations, and after
midnight Prof Milton Updegraff and AS
sistant Astronomer +. ID. Littell were on
special duty looking for the vagrant
Leonids.
Conditions for viewing the spectacle, -
said Prof Skinner to a Post man, ''are a
little more favorable this year than last
November. As you perhaps know the
Leonids derive their name from the fact
that they appear in the constellation Leo.
This constellation does not rise over the
eastern horizon until midnight, and the
radiant point OF the meteOTiteS will not
be visible until 1890 O'Clock On account
or the moonlight they may not be seen
at all unless the display is brilliant The
moon is almost directly over the radiant
point, but while 1t was full this time
last year, 1t is about half full at present,
and this makes conditions slightly better
for purposes of observation.
I'VE are not certain the Leonids will
be seen this year. We can only wait for
them as We did last year. and at the end of
the week may find that another entire year
will have TO be passed. The Leonids are ex-
pected every thirty-three years. While
that is the period shown by records Of
the past. there is much uncertainty about
the dates. The display should last three
nights. If no swarm of meteorites is seen
before Friday. We must give up hope for
twelve months. All We can do Is to be
on the qui Vive this week so that several
observers may be ready should there be
a display. Prof. Updegraff and Assistant
Astronomer Littell will remain on duty
until daylight, and other professors will
have charge of the observation after mid
night every evening until Friday. If no
LeontdS appear by that time the watch
Will be abandoned"
Theories About Leonids.
Various theories have been advanced to
account for the cause of meteors, but sci
entific men generally believe they are of
eometary origin, The orbits Of several
shoals of meteors coincide nearly with the
orbits of well-known comets. II Is sup
posed that the partial lquefaction of the
outside of comets by the intense heat OF
the sun when the comet is nearest the
sun detaches fragments from the comet
airy mass, which go off into space to form
rtng-like string of varying density The
tractive force of the sun In the outgoing
journey is supposed 10 scatter the mete-
ors In streams OF very great length. The
meteors expected now were probably pro-
duced by the sloughing off and disinte-
grafton of Temples comet They were
first observed in 500. on the night when a
certain Moorish king died, and that year
has been referred TO as the year of
stars" Since then there have been TWEEN
ty-nine visits of these meteors, which are
known TO astronomers as Leonids. From
8 o'clock of the morning of November IA.
they are expected to flash out in the east
ern sky from point near the Sickle. The
paths do not seem 10 be parallel, but thu
divergence is supposed 20 be due 20 per-
spective.
On the night OF November l3. 1866 the
earth IN its orbit around the sun plunged
into 2 swarm of these meteors, and con-
tinued In the stream for five hours. The
eastern hemisphere OF the earth was in
front at that time. and the display vas
confined to the continents Of Europe
Asia, and Africa Few persons In the
Orient were intelligent enough u observe
the phenomena. but European meteoroIo-
gists and astronomers were amazed al the
splendid display. In 1867 the earth PASSED
through the orbit OF the Leonids again
and the shower was visible on the Amer
lean continent. Nearly all the meteors
seen then possessed tails az various col
ors, white. yellow, blue and green. Some
Of the trains were many degrees fn
length, and few remained ten or fifteen
minutes before disappearing. During the
time the shower was at Its height the en-
ure eastern heavens seemed 70 be ablsze
II Is highly probably. meteOrOlogigts think
that the display Will be seen this wear
on account OF the non occurrence last
year. sun the event Is one OF those In
the Astronomical world which Is subject
TO fluctuations. and which cannot be pre-
oieted win the certainty OF eclipses.
q i've OIL for The Nerves.
From the womsn's Home Companion