File:Astronomy for amateurs (1904) (14597175909).jpg

Identifier: astronomyforamat00flam (find matches)
Title: Astronomy for amateurs
Year: 1904 (1900s)
Authors: Flammarion, Camille, 1842-1925 Welby, Frances A. (Frances Alice) tr
Subjects: Astronomy
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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e,because the feast of that saint is on the same date.These shooting stars describe a very elongated ellipse,and their orbit has been identified with that of theGreat Comet of 1862. The shower of incandescent asteroids on November14th is often much more abundant than the preceding.In 1799, 1833, and 1866, the meteors were so numerousthat they were described as showers of rain, especially onthe first two dates. For several hours the sky was fur-rowed with falling stars. An English mariner, AndrewEllicot, who made the drawing we reproduce (Fig. 55),described the phenomenon as stupendous and alarming(November 12, 1799, 3 A. M.). The same occurred onNovember 13, 1833. The meteors that scarred theHeavens on that night were reckoned at 240,000, Theseshooting stars received the name of Leonids, becausetheir radiant is situated in the constellation of the Lion.14 195 ASTRONOMY FOR AMATEURS This swarm follows the same orbit as the comet of1866, which travels as far as Uranus, and comes back to
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Fig. 55.—ShouMng Stir^ ot \()\(.mher 12, 1799. From a contemporary draiving,196 THE COMETS the vicinity of the Sun every thirty-three years. Hencewe were entitled to expect another splendid apparitionin 1899, but the expectations of the astronomers weredisappointed. All the preparations for the appropriatereception of these celestial visitors failed to bring aboutthe desired result. The notes made in observatories,or in balloons, admitted of the registration of only a verysmall number of meteors. The maximum was thirteen.During that night, some 200 shooting stars were counted.There were more in 1900, 1901, and, above all, in 1902.This swarm has become displaced. The night of November 27th again is visited by anumber of shooting stars that are the disaggregated re-mains of the Comet of Biela. This comet, discoveredby Biela in 1827, accomplished its revolution in sixand a half years, and down to 1846 it responded punc-tually to the astronomers who expected its return asfixed by calcul

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