METEORS

OR

SHOOTING STARS.

Who forthwith from the glittering staff unfurled The imperial ensign; which, full high advanced, Shone like a meteor streaming to the wind, With gems and golden lustre rich imblazed Seraphic arms and trophies."

Paradise Lost.

PERIODICAL METEORS.

OPULAR attention has been directed to these minute cosmical bodies during the last few years, owing to the appearance, according to prediction, of the memorable star-shower which interested so many on the night of November 13th, 1866. The thousands of luminous particles of matter which were finally destroyed at that time, by coming in contact with the Earth's atmosphere, seemed to have made no impression on their numbers, for on the corresponding nights in 1867 and 1868 a repetition of the display was observed in various parts of North America, and in a less degree in other parts of the globe. There is no doubt whatever that the memorable stream of meteors which crosses the Earth's path in November, consists of millions of these objects; and it is possible that during the progress of the principal part of the stream in its course around the Sun, a far greater number are formed than those extinguished by combustion in the Earth's atmosphere.

One of the first who drew particular attention to the great display of meteors which was expected to take place in November, 1866, was Professor H. A. Newton, of Yale College, Newhaven, U.S. This gentleman contributed, in the year 1864, two remarkable papers on "November Star-showers," in which he gave a determination of the length of the meteoric cycle, the annual period, and the probable orbit around the Sun. Though his final results have now been considerably modified by subsequent observations, yet to Professor Newton belongs the honour of being the first person who clearly demonstrated the periodical nature of these minute bodies, by the publication of approximate elements of the supposed orbit of the November stream. Some idea may be gathered of the difficulty of the problem undertaken and developed by Professor Newton, and afterwards by other mathematicians, if we quote the following words of Humboldt:-" Although the asteroid swarms approximate to a certain degree, in their inconsiderable mass and the diversity of their orbits, to comets, they present this essential difference from the latter bodies, that our knowledge of their existence is almost entirely limited to the moment of their destruction; that is, to the period when, drawn within the sphere of the Earth's attraction, they become luminous and ignite."

It will probably be interesting if we give brief notices of a few of the principal authentic November star-showers. It is from these data that the first approximation

of the period of revolution of this cosmical ring has been obtained. Most writers on this subject have already alluded to these phenomena recorded here and there in old histories. We do not, however, hesitate to reproduce one or two of them once more. The years in which recorded November star-showers took place, are 902, 931, 934, 1002, 1101, 1202, 1366, 1533, 1602, 1698, 1799, 1832, 1833, 1866, 1867, and 1868. Condé, in his History of the Dominion of the Arabs in Spain, mentions that on the death of King Ibrahim bin Ahmad, in the year 902, about the middle of

October, o.s., "an infinite number of stars were seen during the night, scattering themselves like rain to the right and left, and that year was known as the year of the stars." An Arab writer relates of the same phenomenon that "in this year there happened in Egypt an earthquake, lasting from the middle of the night until morning; and so-called flaming stars struck one against another violently while being borne eastward and westward, northward and southward; and none

PERIODICAL METEORS.

could bear to look towards the heavens." These accounts from Mohammedan sources, though bearing evident marks of superstition and exaggerated observation, are sufficient to show that a probably unusual meteoric display took place in the year indicated.

We have another Mohammedan record that "in the year 599 (A.D. 1202), on the night of Saturday, on the last day of Muharram, stars shot hither and thither in the heavens, eastward and westward, and flew against one another, like a scattering swarm of locusts, to the right and left. This phenomenon lasted until daybreak. People were thrown into consternation, and cried to God the Most High with confused clamour; the like of it never happened except in the year of the mission of the Prophet, and in the year 241."

Any unusual celestial phenomenon, whether it be a comet, meteor, or eclipse of the Sun or Moon, was always considered in former ages as some omen portending good or evil to the nation. This superstitious feeling is clearly shown in an extract from a Portuguese work, Chronicas dos Reis de Portugal Reformadas, 1660, relating to an unusual star-shower, observed nearly three hundred years previously. "In the year 1366, and xxii days of the month of October (o.s.) being past, there was in the heavens a movement of stars, such as men never before saw or heard of. From midnight onwards, all the stars moved from the east to the west; and, after being together, they began to move, some in one direction, and others in another. And afterwards they fell from the sky in such numbers, and so thickly together, that as they descended low in the air they seemed large and fiery, and the sky and the air seemed to be in flames, and even the Earth appeared ready to take fire. That portion of the sky where there were no stars, seemed to be divided into many parts, and this lasted for a long time. Those that saw it were filled with such great fear and dismay that they were astounded, imagining they were all dead men, and that the end of the world had come." This apparently improbable account of an extraordinary star-shower may be sensibly correct if we assume that this great meteoric display was accompanied by a coloured aurora, the streamers of which, with very little imagination, might be suggestive of fire.

It is not necessary to notice any more of these ancient meteoric showers, excepting only to state that the dates have been satisfactorily proved, and that they have done good service as data for modern calculations.

as

Of modern displays, Humboldt's description of that of November 12th, 1799, seen by him and M. Bonpland at Cumana, South America, is well known. During four hours thousands of falling stars were noticed. M. Bonpland states that there was not a space in the firmament equal in extent to three diameters of the Moon, that was not filled at every instant with bolides and falling stars. The meteors were visible till sunrise. The same star-shower was observed at other places in South America, some of them distant 700 miles from Cumana.

Our illustration gives an idea of this extraordinary display as witnessed by Mr.