The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-10
LOOK FOR LEONIDS THIS WEEK
THE GREAT Swarm or METEORS
MAJ R~E.APPEAR.
Astronomers Have Deen watching for II
for Three Years Now-IN History
for 1000 9 Where 10 Look for
N-How Amateurs May Be Useful.

for 900 Years Where 10 Look for
H-How Amateurs May Be Useful.
viii the great Leonid swarm. expected
last year and the year before. come this
year?
For two years past all devotees Of astron-
omy, professional and amateur. have
had their hopes followed by disappoint-
ment, as they watched during the nights
Of Nov. IS. II and is for the coming Of the
most famous shower of shooting stars
known to the science.
Win this year witness another and a
ANAL Disappointment Certain astrono-
mers believe not, they think that the Leonids
will appear this month IN all their original
splendor.
All observing people have seen shooting
stars, but not Till within q few decades was
Il known that every shooting star followed
the laws that govern oil heo venly bodies,
pursuing each it, appointed path, so that,
II We had a complete knowledge OF them,
the fash Of each one. or at least Of every
considerable group 81 them, might be as
certainly predicted a. the appearance OF
the planets.
OF all the shooting stars. the 1eonids. az
the November swarm il called. are by all
odds the most striking TO the eye, the most
numerous, have filed the largest place in
history and. il is believed, Offer the astron-
mer the most fruitful field Tor research.
A few Of the swarm were seen on Nov. IL,
1897. The swarm was then looked for on
the night OF Nov. IL, 1893, and a few days
before and after. and at that time about 500
we're noted. Nov. Il. 1890, the astronomers
again awaited their coming, armed with
the latest Photographic weapons Of our
Photographic age. From 100 TO 200 were
recorded.
Last year again. though with diminished
hope, the watchers OF the sky made ready.
but again there were no substantial results.
Something more than 100 were noted alto
gether in northern ATTITUDES. principally
at Yale and Harvard. Prof. W. II. Picker
Jog Of the Harvard Observatory, favored
with a clear sky at the station which he
was then maintaining az Jamaica, West.
Indies, saw more than 100 on each OF the
two nights on which he observed them.
But this was nothing 10 the glorious rec
ords OF the swarm in the past. In the
ninth century the Arabs recorded its APP
pearance in their annals az a rain Of stars
The Chinese rave IL in their astronomical
records as early as s1s and again in 1902,
the last time by thousands" with two OF
the meteors as large as a quart measure
From that time to this they have been
noted with fair regula(ky every thirty
three years or so. though with gaps here
and there, and always in terms that bespoke
q sight OF splendor and sublimltyi
The last first class shower in this coun-
try was on Nov. Il, 1893, though on Nov.
&c t011 ,AA.. ,.. N xana,larAIlA Iianln.,
In Europe. On Nov. u. 1895. they APP
peared again, the largest display coming
In November. 1867. however. when the
astronomers and newspapers of the time
wrote OF them as a wonderful and glorious
phenomenon.
But the year for their next recurrence
has been variously fixed by astronomers.
derending On the year assigned as the
las Of a small group Of years Referring
to the last appearance. 1890 has been chosen
by some as a starting point; and a period
Of thirty-three years between the swsrms
would bring them back in 1899.
The wear 1897 appears. however. from
contemporary accounts to have produced
the best display. A thirty-Aree-year
period would therefore bring them pack
In 1900. But, on the other hand. il has
been shown hat the period OF the swarm
has been Engineering. and must now lie
close to thirty-four years-a calculation
which would assign the present month
a. the proper time Of their appearance
Prof. ". II Pickering Of the Harvard
Observatory says that Tho estimate Of
thirty-four years, reckoning from 1897.
Ia sustained by the bsst data HE present
statement h a. follows
Computing from S2 the fret certain
date, and emitting for convenience all
mid century appearances. they had a
period Of So. year-. appearing IN lOo2
iI0i. 1902. i3O?, lt0?. IJJ2 and i002 AchAnge
seems 10 have come in the orbit a. that
juncture. and instead 81 lS year. later
they Appeared. not every - y"ars. but
every ~ Year,
Beginning from ISIS pppf Pickering
CONTINUES. the lat veal - an unques
u0n.d mAUmum, We grl isdI a. IA" neat
appearasr" in opnrid.fahl. bumb.fs. AMI
thu aonounts - the lA-i Apt~,arsne- -
the swsrm Assign lsI a. The last year
though isos had q ouuslderahls display
oonunu.ns the osinpuiailun, then, 1911
sould ho tho rid - the nest Ayrai
pehei
A hnps - sssins the si,uSri sIptAis
ihs ths I-ituH,aitpn b. 80 uuihn~i al-,e.
hes m che puullabis shap- a ihs t~aum
fhs m-i~irs afr afssu aluns ths urtii
foT milhnuf q mi.s Inns slpush IF i-as'
- 'hai ths sarh MAJ make 100 90 thf-s
revolution aTuund 90 oSh ufiai isfYis
se,bhs lssf - 40 sssuu
u 10 n"i S.rtssus-i ihai iNH nsss'is
-tich o.. snaat dsfs tssilus 90. dianuuiui
Ia sgaas iH . sfhiaiuf ~saai--i tsais bai
moss hss . sifsl aisi ihis aisp % sssl "i
assas BE- uYfhs oah sssH tsans fhs
Fsssd ~ = l~-Htsft@itsn duo tu 49, iaHaus
q $40 - a4af ~ uf llsnst Hssi ts
svsfm 80 stnsssitsI irussfs fiaiss a
Gao ssfth u~atHfn.latiF = 500 m snr -
tlssss ssf@ - Al b. ifssilri 81 Hup H.
tkf lHtaF a nH safnffsnHH
"a i>sasa % 500 - 90 f,fss
80 sanh ssistaits O. fsa u 90 s.
aasesiaus o. uf ~ fHssH as
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q aaaasff 49, a. uf laa ifaisia.
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faa a. uaaif 4 a. tsffl a. A. Hifs
- M-# - .. aH...H.