Daily inter mountain., 1900-11-14
S7AR-GNERS
ARE HAPPY
THE CELESTIAL SHOWER Is DUE
In BUTTE TOMORROW
MORNINGS.
THE GREATEST DISPLAY
SINCE 1866 EXPECTED.
But the Calculations of Astronomers
May Be at Fault Again This
rid Year.

| ; According to the best calculations the
Leonids are due in Butte (and incident
ally in other places) tomorrow morning,
and if nothing happens to them, the
people will be treated to one of the
grandest celestial displays seen since the
year 1866.
This starry shower was billed for No
vember 13 and IA of last year, but the
calculations of the astronomers were at
fault or e!se the stream of particles
flowing in a mighty orbit in the solar
system have been subjected to perturba-
tions and swung out OF their course by
the influence of the planet Uranus.
Every available telescope in the world
was pressed into use last year, and an
expectant public waited patiently for
the fall of stars, but few We're seen.
The November shooting stars are a
recognized institution land are due on
the 18th and 18th of the month each
year, but once in SO years the earth
passes through the orbit Of the Leonids,
and then the falling stars appear to be
as thick as the flakes in a snowstornl.
IN ordinary years the fail is between
so and 100.
III the year 1888 the fall Of stars oc-
Cured on November ~ and 13, and in
the year 1856 the fall was on the morn
ings Of the 18th and 14tn. This year it
is expected that the display will be OBJ
served on the mornings of the 14th and
15th--Thursday and Friday. The gem
elal impression prevailed that the ceies-
tial display would commence in Butte
this morning, and many persons turned
their attention sliyward between II and
l O'Clock, but they were disappointed. 1t
is true that one or two shooting stars
We're seen for a moment, but their light
disappeared with the same quictness as
the aspirations of the recent democratic
presidential candidate.
The November neIeorS are called Leo
rids. because they seem to originate
from a particular point, called the 'ra-
diant point" in the constellation Leo.
The Leonids are supposed to have en-
tered the solar system 1850 years ago,
and ever since then the people of the
earth have been treated to the sight OF
q periodic shower of the failing stars
every 33 years. In speaking of the man
ner in which the Leonids enter the solar
system Frederick Campbell gives very
l1etty description.
It is one of the triumphs Of astronomy
that it can apply its computations to pc
1iods indefinitely remote, either In the
past VI III lIic AuluIes ClC vi TIC llihaS
that it has discovered is that the Novem-
ber meteors have not always been part
of the solar system. But, as shown III
the chart, they entered it in the year l2H
A. D.. The swarm was then coming
through space from some Intensely dis
tant but unknown quarter. moving more
and more swiftly under the power of the
suns attraction. What started them
and how they originated can hardly De
even guessed. Perhaps, indeed. they en-
tered the solar system in the form OF a
comet which was afterward broken up.
fer the close relations between some
meteoric sWarms and some comets has
been established. AS these meteors ap-
preached the sun. they happened to ven-
ture near the orbit of the planet Uranus
their manifest purpose was to pass righ :
on undisturbed. come as near the sun
as they might, swing about that central
body and then hasten back into space.
possbly never more to come this way.
But Uranus happened to be in that part
ofsfts orbit where the meteors were to
pass and. ma assive world as it is. through
the power of gravitation, it brought ir-
resistiole force to bear upon the flying
meteors, seeking to draw them to
| itself. Their speed was, however
too great, and they were simply denected
from the orbit which they We're following
and given a new direction. Meanwhile
they were swiftly passing beyond Uranus
and freeing themselves from his grasp
But the work had been done. Ura nus had
| captured the Leonids and put t. n on q
track which makes them henceforth pris-
! ont of the solar system.
The time to watch for the Leonids to-
! morrow morning will be between mid
night and daylight, as they cannot be
seen, providing they are to ke seen a,
! aT, until Leo rises in the east The pres.
ent weather in Butte Is all that could be
| desired for seeing and If the stars dc
make their appearance 1t will be wei
worth the time of everybody to see them