New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-27
ORIGIN OF MEI'EORS.
Docs Difference in VelOcity Indicate
Separate Sources?

Although there are certain dates
/ which a brilliant show OF meteOrs is eN-
/ pected by astronomers than at other times. II
is said that a few are visible almost every
clear. mOonless night. Inasmuch as the days
are shorter in winter than in summer. the op-
portunities for observation viii steadily improve
/ for the next three months.
n question of much importance is discussed in
the latest issue OF Popular Astronomy" By
W. H. 5. Monck. a we'll known English writer
/ on stellar science. Two general theories have
/ been advanced to explain the origin OF meteOrs.
/ One is that they are the wreckage Of comets
/ While there may be doubt to the COM
/ pleteness with which this idea covers the mat
/ ter. it certainly fits a great many cases. II
has been shown satisfactorily that the swarm
of tiny bodies which was encountered the
| occasion Of the great meteOric showers Of early
November. in 1S33-'3f and 1S66-67. and OF
which traces were detected in 10000. travelled
in the precise orbit of a certain comet first OBJ
served by Tempel. and had the same period
about thirty-three years. In like manner the
swarm giving rise to the showers which came
from a different quarter late in November. in
1866 1872 1885 and 1892 (the Andromedes). fol
lowed the path Of BieIa's comet which Itself
disappeared a quarter Of century ago. and
which exhibited the periOdicity. Mr..
NOnck is willing TO accept the cOmetary eX-
PLANTATION for all meteors whose orbits inter-
sect that Of the earth at large angle.
which meet the earth nearly head because
their motion is in the opposite direction. In
either Of these instances. it is to be observed.
their apparent motion through the air would
be comparatively swift.
Some other mcteOrs seem to travel much more
slowly and undoubtedly move in nearly the
same direction the earth. They come up be
hind US. and Overtake While the chemical
composition Of these objects may be almost
identical with that of the other ones. MIR.
Monck inclines to the opinion that they come
into existence in another way. He quotes the
opinion of Tschermak and one or two other
authorities 70 the effect that portion OF the
meteoric matter that circulates in space was
projected Mechanically from some OF the mem
bers OF our solar system. Sir Robert Ball be-
Iieves that the earth Is the only planet which
could have given birth to them. and he has
concluded that if such thing really occurred
the products would travel around the In
the same direction the other planets Thus.
meteOric stones having terrestrial origin.
whether big or little. would resemble in behavior
the asteroids. hundreds Of which move in orbits
that lie between those OF Mars and Jupiter.
Four FIVE OF the asteroids exceed one hun
dred miles in diameter. while the great majority
of those which have been positively identified
are very much smaller.
The masses which constitute meteOrs. what
their early history. range in size from peas
and grains of coarse sand up to powders weigh
/ ing several tons. Until they encounter the
earth's atmosphere they remain invisible Eric
/ tiOn with the air heats them. and IN the major
ity Of cases burns them 10 dust before they
reach the earth OF course. the apparent velOc-
ity OF those which overtake the earth would be
much slower than those which meet US. and
less heat would be developed Indeed. Mr..
Monck is confident that only those stones which
do so ever survive the ordeal The temperature
| of their surface Is raised sufficiently to make
them glow brightly. and the unequal heating
of interior and exterior cracks them 20 pieces.
/ the disintegration being attended with a sound
like a pistol shot. louder. To such meteOrS
Mr. MOnck gives the name 'hreballs.' TO dis
tinguish them from those which are nothing
/ but streaks OF light. He further quotes an OBJ
servatiOn made by Mr. Denning. another Eng
/ lish expert in this department of astronomy. to
/ the effect that firebaIs usually lower
/ down than other meteOrs.
| Mr.. Monck admits that the size OF meteOric
| body when il enters the atmosphere must be
J considered. as well its velocity. big ons