METEOR SHOWER

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 261, 2 August 1939, Page 8

METEOR SHOWER

May Be Seen In Eastern Sky NO CERTAINTY, SAY ASTRONOMERS Those hoping to see the meteor shower predicted by astronomers to take place this week should look in the eastern Sky, after 9 p.m., on Bnday to have the greatest chance of observing it. But. if they expect to see the sky a blaze of shooting stars, they stand about the same chance of doing so as of winning an art union, said the director of the Carter Observatory, Mr. M. Geddes, in an interview yesterday. , , The earth would actually pass closest to the track of the comet at two o clock on Friday; and the section of the sky out of which the meteors would come would rise above the New Zealand horizon about nine in the evening. He explained that there was no certainty that the shower would eventuate. All that astronomers could say was that the circumstances would be such that there was a possibility of it. There might be a spectacular display, but more likely not. Astronomers were unwilling to predict definitely that any such display would: take place. In 1899 a great meteor shower had been predicted. and had been given considerable publicity. The few experts who voiced the opinion that the comet concerned might have been affected by its near approach to Jupiter were ignored. The public looked forward eagerly to the display, and when none eventuated were disillusioned, and the event proved a great setback to the spread of astronomical knowledge.

A similar event took place on a previous occasion in Wellington, when numbers of people crowded Mount Victoria, looking out for a display which did not take place. He was not anxious to see a repetition of these events. The reasons why he was not sanguine of a very brilliant display of shooting stars were that the comet Jurlof-Achmanarof-Hassel was a longterm comet, approaching the sun only once in 700 years, whereas all those likely to produce good meteor showers were short-term comets. The meteor showers were a sign of the disintegration of the comet. Another factor was that the earth did not pass directly through the wake of the comet, this again diminishing the chance of intercepting any meteors. None the less, astronomers throughout New Zealand would be on the watch for several nights, just in case a really brilliant display should come off. NEW COMET SEEN No Tail; Rushing Fast Southward Advice has been received by the Carter Observatory, Wellington, from Melbourne, that a new comet has been observed, in that part of the eastern sky which rises in New Zealand just after dusk. To be exact, it is located at present in the constellation of Grus, just south-east of the planet Mars. The planet is of magnitude seven, that is one magnitude smaller than can be discerned with the naked eye. At present there is no indication of whether it will brighten or wane. It has no tail, and at present it is rushing with great rapidity to the south.