Evening star., 1924-02-15

termtte-ltke, and reaching SightleS6
feeiers-pilot balloons up only twen-
/ ty-two miles!
Two astronomers-one being at the
Naval Observatory and the other at
another Etation-are simultaneously
observing meteors. A meteor is In
visible until It enters our atmosphere,
and then friction with the air causes
1t to become a ball Of fire. BY stimuli
taneous observation Of the time and
declension OF tt e visible meteor, and
by triangulation Of the duplicate OBJ
servations. they are going to dis
1t first became visible by alr-friction
II 900 or 1000 miles up? OF course,
that will not tell how far 1t had al
ready travelled through air while 1t
was warming up but 1t will tell that
the air is at least that Highland
higher. Now nobody knows the
height and depth Of the aerial ocean:
Storms and dry weather are not all
formed at the bottom of the air-world
about US. What currents ebb and
flow 100 or 1000 miles above earth?
DR.. Goddard Of Clark University
astonished the public a few years ago
by announcing that he had computed
the problems of physics involved in
shooting rocket from earth to tho
the rocket could be propelled by sue
| cessive explosions from within it
self. as 1t scared through space, were
indorsed by other scientists
Skeptics object that 1t will be I'm
possible to carry out DR.. Goddard S
rocket scheme, because the rocket
would soon turn tail and shoot down
to earth instead Of keeping a straight
onward flight. DR.. w. ]. Humphreys
.,$ hn han h,,r nj n
feather on an Indian arrow, which
keeps the arrow headed for the tar
get. But after the rocket en- route
to the moon had passed beyond the
pressure of air how would the "feath-
cred arrow" keep its course through
ether or a vacuum? (Forget the In
candescence of the metallic meteor in
passing through our air) How keep
Its course through ether or vacuum?
DR.. Humphreys points to the moth
which is drawn to the flame. In the
head of the model rocket is a bit of
seleniun. connected by wire with a
little electric motor operating and
guiding vents. which shape the di-
|rection of the rocket When the light
Of the moon falls on. that sensitive
siienium 1t sets up an electric cur
rent, which operates the motor and
shifts the center OF gravity, and.
therefore, the direction.
Aimed at the moon. the light Of the
moon would attract 1t to it's fate,
and at a certain distance the gravity
or earth would be less than the grav-
ity OF the moon in attracting the
rocket, until 1t would fall upon the
moon. There's u charge of magnesium
carried by the rocket would explode
earth.
But. says the SIX keptic, the theory of
continuous propulsion to keep the
rocket on it's way would not work.
because after it passed out Of our
air there would be nothing for the
exploding charge to push against,
hence no force in the explosion. Be-
sides. when the first explosion came
IT would blow up all the rest Of the
charges. DR.. Humphreys smiles and
replies that the explosion is not de-
pendent on anything to push against
1t blows up in all directions. from a
center of inertia, and while the
backward force would find no resist
ance. the onward force would strike
against the comparative inertia of
the hylng rocket and give it another
push-like the push Of gas engines
explosion. AS for blowing up all the
ammunition with the first explosion.
why Is not that true, then. in repeat
ing rifles and machine gunsc Sue
cessiVe explosions would be operated
with clockwork and electricity.
Now the weather bureau and DR.
GODDARD are planning teamwork in
sending such rockets UP 500 miles,
laden with various recording instru-
ments. 1t is even proposed by DR..
Humphreys Of the weather bureau to
trap samples Of the air every hun
dred miles or so, and seal 1t In ther-
mos bottles SO that 1t will reach the
laboratory on NJ street at the same
temperature and density and with all
it's gases as when It was caught.
1t will require 1000 to carry out
the experiment of sending the rock
cts 500 miles into our air. Only
part of II is subscribed.