The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-29
Rockets Sent Into Space
 ToReUeaL Hidden Secrets
By DR. R. H. GODDARD Of Clark University Inventor Of The High Altitude RO


 the meteors tell. however, let us re. view briefly what is known regarding the air in the short distance above the earth's surface that has actually been studied-a distance of about % miles by means of instruments carried alOft by thin rubber balloons.
 Where Weather Changes
 The weather changes take place in layer of air, called the ''Troposphere " This is seven miles thick, or not much higher than the loftiest mountain. Even our large storms, a thousand miles or more in diameter, are therefore not much more than pancakes of air, about seven miles thick. There is good req son to suppose, incidentally, that the weather changes begin to occur at the top of this layer of air, which sug- gests the importance of high-altitude weather maps, made from simultaneous upper-air observations over a wide territory.
 When instrument-carrying balloons first penetrated beyond this region, they brought down the unexpected in. formation that the temperature, in- stead of falling steadily with height, as had been supposed, actually rises slowly with height; and this region of rather steady low temperature, about minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit, is accord ing gly called the "Stratosphere."
 According to the study of meteors that has been made by Professors Llndemann and Dobson of the Univer- sity of Oxford, England, the Strato. sphere ends at 37 miles in a very un expected fashion. The temperature rises abruptly to 30 degrees Fahrenheit above this level. This is a sudden transition from arctic temperature to that of warm summer day.
 Much Greater Destiny
 These scientists consider that, fol meteors to shine brightly at the great heights at which they are observed, thu upper air must be hundredfOld greater density than has hitherto been sup posed (being, nevertheless, of but |, 5OO,OO0 the density at sea level, at a height of 60 miles) and instead of con. sisting of hydrogen and helium, as has universally been considered likely, il must consist of ozone, as this is the ony gas which can take up much heat by absorbing the rays of the sun. Their striking conclusion, namely that the temperature rises abruptly above 37 miles, seems actually to be supported by the fact that very few meteors ever vanish just below this level, which makes it appear as if the meteors plunged into cool layer of air, and only became heated again after pene- trating considerably lower in the at- mOsphere.
 But another story seems to be told by the light from urarae, which reaches much higher than the visible paths of meteors, and appears. to be produced by radioactive and other similar rays from the sun. In fact, Dr. l.. Vegard, professor of physics in the University of Cristiania, considers from many observations of the color, intensity of light, and height of aurorae, that ni- trogen predominates in the high atmos- phere, and that the temperature falls with increasing height until, at a height of 56 miles, where the air is over 95 Ter cent nitrogen, the temperature reaches minus 351 degrees Fahrenheit, so low that nitrogen freezes. Above this level,. according to Professor We gard's findings, the atmosphere con sists of very rare dust of frozen nitrogen crystals, fairly dense up to 70 miles, and very thin above this height. It is this frozen nitrogen dust which gives the blue color to the sky.
 Nitrogen Crystals Charged But nitrogen is q much heavier ga: