The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-11-14
LEONID STREAM OF METEORS
MAY BE VISIBLE NEXT WEEK

To the Editor of the Scientific American:
This wonderful display, which startled
the northern hemisphere in the month of
November of the years 1923. 1898 and 1867,
was announced by some English astron-
omers as due to reappear in November.
1899. But the watchers We're disappoint-
ed; and the cause assigned for this dis
appointment was that the swarm of
meteors from which the shower falls
had been either diverted from its usual
source. or had been wholly scattered by
cts. The probability IL. however. that
we shall behold this grand display again.
about November To- 1901. One of our
leading astronomical publications. refer
ring to this subject, uses the following
language:
Some astronomers have expressed
opinions with more or less assurance
that the path of the Leonid streams of
meteors has been so changed that we
may no longer hope to see such grand
showers as were seen in 1866. and nota-
bly, in 1888 Although no remarkable
shower is reported as seen anywhere in
1900. it is evident that the stream Of
Leonids has not been diverted from its
former course far enough to miss the
eartns considerable numbers OF the Leo
nids having been seen at various points
on the night OF November -, 1870.
The explanation of the mistaken pre-
diction is to be found in the haSty ana
careless examination made OF the rec
ords of past appearances of these me-
teors. and which ended in a deduction of
a period of thirty-three and quarter
years Prof Mcclure OF Philadelphia.
however. with Prof. Herrick of Yale.
and a few others, correctly estimated
the period in 1851, putting it at 81 years
and 1 day, or to be more accurate, l2,4l9
days. Thus, the first recorded shower was
witnessed on the night of November IL
- 1893; the next on that of November
was witnessed on the night of November
I2-13. 1893: the following one occurring on
November 1914 1867; so that the next be
comes due on the night OF November IL
Is 19O1-in a few weeks hence.
II has been found that tlf1@ stream OF
meteors takes three years 10 pass the
point where the earth meets it in each
November of those three years TO plunge
through il in five or six hours. The first
year of these encounters the head of the
stream is met where the swarm Il thin
and the display consequently not SO
great as that of the second year. when
the earth goes through the dense por-
ton to be followed in the third year by
a stin lighter shower. The records show
that the displays of the first year have
been visible in the Eastern Hemisphere,
hut not on this continent. whereas the
reverse has been the case with those or
the second year-oT the great showers.
so called. As the display Of the first
year 1866 series was quite hr.liiant-seen
only. however. in the old Worid-the %
years that had elapsed from the grand
shower Of 1888 seem To have been taken
as the period of return. ana this no
doubt led TO the mistaken prediction
which assigned l>g9 for Jhe reappearance
of this ma gnifiCeut sight But the show
er of 1861 was by far the srandest OF
that time or rather series And reckon
ing from the previous corresponding dis
play, 1888. the period was exactly 81
years and l day, a. stated already. The
same reckoning holds good in the pre-
ceding cases.
a notable circumstance in connection