The Malborough Express. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. Friday, December 9, 1898.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIII, Issue 286, 9 December 1898, Page 2

The Malborough Express. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. Friday, December 9, 1898.

Those timid people who the were relieved m mind by bhootikg the fact that the November stabs. shooting stars did not appear this year when they were m aome quarters erroneously assumed to be due— the faot being that they may be expected next year— and the fearless section of the population, who were disappointed at the nonaappearttnae of the phenomena, will be alike interested m a disquisition upon them whioh Sir Jameß Hector recently gave m Wellington. They originated m the year 126, when they were caused through the attractions of Uranus drawing a comet from its usual course. The effeot of this waa that a stream of stars was formed that was about 1,000,000 miles m width from side to Bide, about 100,000 miles m depth, 1,885,000,000 miles m length, 4,400,000,000 miles m oiroumferenoe. Through this itn* mense ribbon of stars the earth passes onoe m every 33 years, and as the stars are travelling the opposite way to the earth, and at a speed of about 23 milea per eeoond, while the earth travels at 22 miles per seoond, they pass at the rate of 45 miles per leoond. In 1833 and 1866 there were magnifioent displays of theee shooting stare, but the appearanoe since the last display of what is thought to be the head of the comet gives promise of the shooting stars of next November being a more awe^inspiriog Bight than ever. The showers of meteors deaoribed m a oablegram of the 16 tb Novem« ber as having been observed m Amerioa are looked upon by Sir James Heotor as the advanoa guard of next year's display, whioh, m New Zealand, may be visible, passing, however, at a tangent, Although these shooting stars look formidable, they are not to be regarded as a source of danger. Sir James Heotor Btates that about 100,000 meteors fall into our atmosphere nearly every week m the year ; but they hardly •ver reach the earth's surfaoe, the resistance of the earth's atmosphere usually reduoing them to dust. A meteor has desoended m the Wairarapa, but it is the only instanoe of one having bten found m New Zea.la.ad,

It has been preserved m the Museum at Wellington. It weighs only a few pounds, and oonaists of aluminium, iron, niokel, and one or two of the other baße oreß.