Meteoric astronomy: A treatise on shooting-stars, fire-balls, and aerolitesKirkwood, Daniel
Science
Meteoric astronomy: A treatise on shooting-stars, fire-balls, and aerolites
Kirkwood, Daniel
Meteors
[7] The stream or arc of meteors is several years in passing its node.
The first indication of the approach of the display of 1866 was the
appearance of meteors in unusual numbers at Malta, on the 13th of
November, 1864. The great length of the arc is indicated, moreover, by
the showers of 931 and 934.
[8] Silliman's Journ. for Sept. and Nov., 1861.
[9] The numerical results here given are those found by Professor
Newton. See Silliman's Journ. for March, 1865.
[10] The diameters of the asteroids are derived from a table by Prof.
Lespiault, in the Rep. of the Smithsonian Inst. for 1861, p. 216.
[11] "It appears probable, from the researches of Schreibers, that 700
fall annually."--Cosmos, vol. i. p. 119 (Bohn's Ed.). Reichenbach makes
the number much greater.
[12] New Concord is close to the Guernsey County line. Nearly all the
stones fell in Guernsey.
[13] Cosmos, vol. i. p. 120.
[14] Leverrier's Annals of the Observatory of Paris, vol. i. p. 38.
[15] "This is a remarkable example of a stone arriving on the earth
with a temperature approaching that of the interplanetary spaces.
Aerolites containing much iron, a substance which conducts heat well,
get thoroughly heated by their passage through the atmosphere. But the
stony aerolites, containing less iron, conducting heat badly, preserve
in their interior the temperature of the locality from which they fall;
their surface only is heated, and generally fused. When the stones are
large, the _excessive cold_ of their interior portion, which must be
nearly that of interplanetary space, is remarked; but when small, they
remain hot for some time."--_Dr. Phipson._
[16] Silliman's Journal, September, 1864.
[17] The same explanation is given by T. M. Hall, F.G.S., in the
Popular Science Review for Oct. 1866.
[18] This list contains nothing but _aerolites_. In the Edinburgh
Review for January, 1867, we find the following statements: "Out of
the large number of authentic aerolites preserved in mineralogical
collections, two only--one on the 10th of August, and one on the 13th
of November--are recorded to have fallen on star-shower dates. On the
other hand, five or six meteorites, on the epoch of the 13th-14th of
October, belong to a date when star-showers, so far as is at present
known, do not make their appearance." The inaccuracy of the former
statement is sufficiently apparent. In regard to the latter we remark
that Quetelet's Catalogue gives one star-shower on the 14th of October,
and another on the 12th.
[19] The date of this remarkable occurrence is worthy of note as a
probable aerolite epoch. From the 12th to the 15th of March we have the
following falls of meteoric stones:
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