SHOOTING STARS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 235, 2 October 1894, Page 5

SHOOTING STARS.

A great deal of valuable information on the subjecb'of shooting stars was imparted by' Professor Seager ab the/Auck; land Institute last evening. ,'. The Professor carefully discussed the probable origin of these mysterious visitors, which, notwithstanding many theories, still remains very ! uncertain. They contain, it appears, only such elements as are contained in the Earth, and "ene "theory of their origin is thai they have" ab some ancient period , been' hurled into space by' some pigaubie volcano. ■ This idea was last: night propounded by Mr J.: H.1 Upton, Chairman of the meeting; arid" Professor Seaser ad-; mittod'thabib' was held" by' some leading authorities on the subject. He pointed out, however, that these stones would require to be projacte>i from'the earth with^ a velocity' of' six-'or seven* miles a second.' when they Would'not' return, but would form a circle of their own. Ib tequires "some faith ;to V believe * this .theory a3 io the origin' -of 'shooting ' stars", bub as; one cetebtated''authority. Has said:; it requires less faith' than' any other theory. Professor' Seager described the fireball, meteor, and aerolite, the origin of each of which he said was the same. They are whirled through space with tremondous'velocity, first become white-hotfana' eventually descend to the 'earth in duet. The average number of meteors that traverse our atmosphere daily is, it eoems, 7,500,000 visible to the naked eye, and double that number 868U through a telescope.' The phenomena attending the flight' of /fireballs was explained in a most entertaining manner, it being shown that- these strange bodies have travelled enormous distance^ and given forth, a* light' rivalling .._,the .brilliancy of the full moon. Until one hundred yeare ftgo, aerolites were, according to Professor Seager, regarded with superstition, bub more recently important discoveries have-been made, which have enabled much important information being obtained as to their substance and habits. Professor Seager mentioned many instances in which aerolites have been found embedded in the earth, and weighing as much as 120 lbs. Perhaps the mosb interesting part of the lecture was that in - which Prefeisor Seager spoke of the November shower of Bhooting stars. The exacb date, it appears, is November: 13th, and the phenomenon is most remarkrible once in every thirty-three yearn. The last great shower was on November 13th, 1866, and in that year a comet was also observed, revealing the relation between comets and ebdoting stars. The next great shower of shooting stars will eventuate about November', 1899; or the following year, or in both. The Earth will pass through the crowd in a few hours, and if New Zealand is for'buaa'te; enough to be in the right spot, Professor feeagor promises' the inhabitants a very tine eight.' ' ■ ■; , . • • ■• ■' :■