Science in Short ChaptersWilliams, W. Mattieu (William Mattieu)
Science
Science in Short Chapters
Williams, W. Mattieu (William Mattieu)
Science
Mr. Proctor subjects this bold hypothesis to mathematical examination,
and finds that the orbit of Tempel’s comet and its companion meteors
correspond to that which would result from such an eruption occurring
on the planet Uranus. An eruptive force effecting a velocity of about
thirteen miles per second, which is vastly smaller than the actually
measured velocity of the matter of the solar eruptions, would be
sufficient to thrust such meteoric or cometary matter beyond the
reclaiming reach of the gravitation of Uranus, and hand it over to the
sun, to make just such an orbit as that of Tempel’s comet and the
Leonides meteors.
He shows that other comets and meteoric zones are similarly allied to
other planets, and thus it may be that the falling stars and comets
are fragments of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune. Verily, if an
astronomer of the last generation were to start up among us now, he
would be astounded at modern presumption.
The star shower of November 27th, and its connection with Biela’s
broken and lost comet, referred to in my last letter, are still
subjects of research and speculation. On November 30th Professor
Klinkerfues sent to Mr. Pogson, of the Madras Observatory, the
following startling telegram: “Biela touched earth on 27th. Search near
Theta Centauri.”
Mr. Pogson searched accordingly from comet-rise to sunrise on the two
following mornings, but in vain; for even in India they have had cloudy
weather of late. On the third day, however, he had “better luck,” saw
something like a comet through an opening between clouds, and on the
following days was enabled to deliberately verify this observation and
determine the position and some elements of the motion of the comet,
which displayed a bright nucleus, and faint but distinct tail.
This discovery is rather remarkable in connection with the theoretical
anticipation of Professor Klinkerfues; but the conclusion directly
suggested is by no means admitted by astronomers. Some, have supposed
that it is not the primary Biela, but the secondary comet, or offshoot,
which grazed the earth, and was seen by Mr. Pogson; others that it was
neither the body, the envelope, nor the tail of either of the comets
which formed the star shower, but that the meteors of November 27th
were merely a trail which the comet left behind.
A multitude of letters were read at the last and previous meeting of
the Astronomical Society, in which the writers described the details
of their own observations. As these letters came from nearly all parts
of the world, the data have an unusual degree of completeness, and
show very strikingly the value of the work of amateur astronomical
observers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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