The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-07-25
BUT FEW METEORS
REACH THE EARTH
RECENT ONE IN VIRGINIA is
SECOND LARGEST. GENER-
ALLY ARE VERY SMALL.
By DIR. c. S. Brainin
OF Columbia University Observatory.

A short time ago, according to news
paper reports, very brilliant meteor
or shooting star, fell into the Atlantic
ocean off the New Jersey coast and
was seen by thousands OF people all
the way from New York to Atlantic
City, in the southern part OF the state.
1t was described as large ball OF
fire descending from the heavens, with
thunder like rumbling accompany
ing its flight
A similar phenomenon occurred
recently in Virginia, where the meteor
fell into a clump of trees with crash
which was felt for many miles. 1t dug
a hole about 500 square feet III area
and actually set fire to some trees, Its
fall was seen for over 100 miles, and
it lit up the landscape like bolt OF
lightning.
Occurrence like these are fairly rare,
although thousands OF meteors are
seen every year from any location on
the earth's surface. But in practically
all cases the phenomenon takes the
form of the ordinary small shooting
star, which never reaches the earth.
1t has been estimated that about two
meteorites are thus seen to fall and
are recovered yearly and the tota!
number which reach the earth is
probably not more than 100. 1t must
be recalled that by far the greater por-
ton of the earth's surface is water
and wilderness. The new Virginia me-
teorite weighs, according to estimates,
about 20 tons, and is probably next
in weight to the largest one that was
brought by Peary from the north and
the largest that has ever been actually
seen to fall by civilized men.
The Nature of Meteors.
In spite OF the popular appellation,
shooting stars" meteors are not stars
by any means, nor is it probable that
they originated from or near any star
other than the sun. After the passage
of a shooting star across the heavens
all the real stars will still be found in
their original places. They are, in re-
atty, by far the greater part very
small thing, about the size of a pea,
which collide with the earth's atmos-
phere, and the intense illumination is
due to the heat generated by the sud
den slowing OF their previously unhin-
dered flight through space. 1t is fric-
tional heat Many OF them pass out of
the air again, and most OF those which
would otherwise reach the surface are
consumed so that nothing but dust at
tains to the earth's surface. Extremely
rare, by comparison, are those which
reach the earth unconsumed.
We know the origin OF at least some
OF these strange visitors. Years ago a
comet whose return had been prophe-
sled for a certain time failed to put in
an appearance as expected and greatly
astonished all the astronomic world
But, instead, there came at night a
most plentiful shower of meteors. II
was calculated that these meteors had
come along a path which conceded
with the orbit of the expected comet
These shooting stars were therefore
the debris of the vanished comet
which undoubtedly had been disrupted
by the gravitational attraction OF the
sun or some large planet which it had
closely approached. 1t cannot, how
ever, be said that all meteors are the
remains of disintegrated comets.
No elements have been found on any
meteorites which are not already
known on the earth, and this used tc
be considered proof that the entire uni
verse contained about the same chem.
ical substances-that is, if they were
bodies whose origin was outside OF the
solar system, in the realm Of stars 9th.
er than the sun. On the other hand
the mere fact that no unknown chemi
cal elements are to be found in me
teorites may be pointed to as proc
that their origin is to be sought righr
within the solar system.
According to our present under
standing of the composition of matter
the most elementary substances are
units of positive and negative electrici
ty. All the chemical elements are made
up by various combinations of these
according to laws but imperfectly un.
derstood at present 1t seems very
likely, therefore, that the same combi
nations would be formed elsewhere as
on our own island in the universe The
spectrum shows us that atoms on the
stars behave just like atoms on the
earth