Evening star., 1932-11-15
OBSERVERS WATCH
SHOWER OF STARS
ShlVering Scientists Wait at
Georgetown Observatory
in Vain Vigil.
tcontinuea PROM First Page.l


meteor belt has been so dissipated that
the spectacle never will be seen again.
but this Is highly improbable.
So biack-robed Jesuit fathers and
scholars Of the Georgetown faculty
mounted guard from midnight to sun
rise on the cold hill top overlooking
the college graveyard, the university
buildings and the sleeping city, with
its concentric emi-circles Of lights far
below. At the same time, astronomers
from the Naval Observatory were stand
ing guard on a hill top northeast of
Washington. II was a chill, lonely
inexpressably beautiful vigil for the
men on the Georgetown observatory
tower, each seated under the open sky
ct q table illuminated with dull, RED
lamp. a star map of the northeastern
heavens spread before him.
Presents Weird Picture.
All the mystic beauty and weirdness
Of early Winter was concentrated IN
the prospect below them-the grave
stones glimmering white, the slate roofs
silvered by moonlight, the cloudless
armament and the majestic march OF
the cold satellite and the stars, the
bare. black boughs Of the forest, the
eerie rustic of dead leaves, the mourn
full bowling Of dogs breaking the vast,
dense silence, the cold and the lonell-
ness. Much the same prospect, with
out the city lights, confronted the Naval
Observatory astronomers on their sub
urban hill top.
The moon rose early and all night
rode high in the heavens, II was q
disappointing wateh-no grand hall
storm OF FIRE, but only few swift
meteors, indicating the earth actually
had sailed into the danger zone OF
the ieonids, but was not yet IN the
thick Of the bolnbardmept. The bright
moonlight which silveFed the entire
heaven was a drawback Only the
brightest Of stars could be seen with
the naked eye through the veil OF that
lunar effuigence Doubtless many shoot
ing stars, which would have been seen
as streaks of flame across blaekened
East. we're thus rendered invisible, The
only condition that could have been
much worse would have been q cloud
overcast sky.
Observations Co-ordinated.
Each observer took his bearings" ae-
coFding to the STANDARD SKY map pro"
vided for the occasion by the UniVer"
sity of Pennsylvania, American head
quarters for meteor research, which Is
directing and co-ordinating the oesef-
Tations of the leonids. It was easy,
because all the stars above the north
eastern horizon visible through the
moonlight could be counted on the
fingers. As midnight approached those
two heavenly twins, the Gemini, were
alone sweeping upward toward the
zenith. To the southwest was the great
star Procion. A little further westward
was the straight line Of three stars
ka halt nf 0pinla ard the
barely visible dim line which makes up
the spear Of the Hunter. Clearly visible
in Orion were the great stars Sirius and
Betelgeuse, those giants OF the stellar
universe, in either OF which the sun
and all its planets would be almost in-
significant pebbles. BY tixing the eyes
steadily on the heavens few other
faint stars might be seen to appear and
disappear, unable to. establish thesn-
selves in competition with the moon.
Shortly before midniglH the OBJ
seFKgrs went to Their stations in the
high tower. Rev. Paul A. McNaily, d.
rectnr OF the observatory sat before an
illuminated table on the bars hilltop
outside, watching the east through the
black boughs Of leafiess Wild cherry
sapiing Far below in the college
deFmintoriss windows began to open.
Student observers also were on watch.
DF. McNally had recruited 100 voiun-
teer students to count tbs meteors as
soon as the shower started. They were
to bs awakened by the watchers, but
fSw Of them were asleep.
Stars Begin Celestial March.
On schedule, over the eastern horizon,
GFose Reguius. the bright star in the
point of the golden sickle Of Leo. Be.
hind 1t appeared the two fainter stars
Of the nsteliatieus sweeping slowly
and irresistabiy uu the heavens through
the mystic msadoW Of moonshinf. Be-
hind it came the war planet Mars,
family red. Far TO the westward. cut
ting through the belt Of Orion, flashed
q meteor. An instant later fainter
meteor traced 4 trail Of fire to the north
OF Leo, Then another, almost within
the zone Of the constellation itSelf. Ex-
citsment prevailed. The scene might
be compared to that of y ship entering
the zone of action. Father McNally,
huddled over his red-lighted table, was
the captain. He shouted sharp direc-
tiQns to the men on the watch tower.
Pencils we're poised over star maps. 1t
appeared IS If the first drops OF the
hailstorm of fire were falling.
And then-nothing. No more visible
nlsteorS fell for an hour or more. The
eepulchFal college bell toiled 2. Venus
arose out of the East-big, golden and
beautiful. Jupiter followed her. a few
more meteors fell. Once more the
shouted directions--and then the show
er stopped. Thus it went all night
long-a few scattered meteors like
threatening drops Of rain.
Vigilance was relaxed. The watchers
came down from their tower, wrapped
in their oyereoats and blankets, and
walked out the road circling the observ-
atoFy to stir their congsaied eircula.
ton. Somebody turned on the radio
and the ineongru6uS music OF a dance
orehegtFa in San Francisco broke into
the mystical silence. The loneliness
and beauty of the night stirred phil
osophical reflection in the minds Of the
relaxed watchers They walked about
and discussed with shivering newspaper
reporters who hae Joined them in their
cold watch the great mysteries Of time
and space, of life and what might be
beyond life, on the impenetFabie nyS.
terry that Was on the other side Of that
LUMINOUS veil Of sky through which the
senses OF man could not penetrate, Of
the majesty and order OF the celestial
universe and the evidence 1t offered for
an ail.wiss CREATOR Of the destiny OF
man and society, Of the trailty Of hu-
mRnity and the uncertainty Of living
from moment to moment.
Meteor Rashes 10 Earth.
A red meteor flashed down through
Orion. It was rushing 10 meet the
earth with such speed that it was set
on FIRE by the friction OF the extremely
tenueus outer atmosphere. The earth
was rushing to meet it-sttadiIy, un-
ceasingly ct approximately 18 miles
. second. 1t might strike anywhere.
In the fash of an eye the observatory
and the hilltop might be wiped off the
face of the earth. 1t might strike the
college below and the sleeping students
would never awake again ON this earth
30 know what had happened L might
be q very large meteor, like one that