[meteorite-list] NP Article, 11-1867 Lecture on Meteors and Meteorites

From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:23:44 2004
Message-ID: <OE129FkuutSgcOrBLSA000000d0_at_hotmail.com>

Paper: The Edinburgh Evening Courant
City: Edinburgh, Midlothian (United Kingdom)
Date: Wednesday, November 13, 1867
Page: 4

     MR A. S. HERSCHEL ON METEORS. - Last night, Mr A. S. Herschel delivered
the first of two lectures in commection with the Philosophical Institution
on "Meteors and Meteorites." The lecture was delivered in Queen Street
Hall, which was crowedin every corner. Mr. Herschel, in the introductory
part of his lecture, narrated instances in which pieces of stone and iron
had fallen upon the earth from the air. The fall of pieces of iron was very
rare; that of stones was much more frequent. From an investigation made by
Howard in the beginning of this century, these stones were found to be
characterized by the pressence of nickel. They had the appearence of grey
granite, but were distinguished from all the terrestrial rocks by having
sprinklings of iron filings through their whole substance, and at the same
time were glazed all over as if they had come from a furnace. The records
appearing in the newspapers indicated that on an average one aerolite fell
per week, but it was supposed that if all that fell week picked up, one a
day would be found to be deposited on the earth. With the fall of an
aerolite a large ball of fire passed through the sky, and gave a violent
report, the sound resembling that of an earthquake which was heard for fifty
miles or more around. Persons residing within that distance from where it
was rumoured that a stone had fallen could know whether or not the report
was a hoax, as they must have heard of it long before it got into the
newspapers. Some aerolites which fell in France about three years ago very
much resembled granite which appeared to have been torn from rocks. Mr
Herschel then proceeded to point out on diagrams the appearence of some of
the largest meteors which had been witnessed in recent times. One of these
consisted of two chief heads, followed separateky and independently by small
companion meteors, each drawing a train behind its head. These they might
suppose to be showers of stones all grouped together, which never reached
the earth al all. The height in the air of these fire-balls had generally
been found to be about sixty miles. Their speed was also very great. They
seldom remained visible beyond a few seconds, and in that time they might
cross one side of Scotland to the other. He then referred at some length to
the views which had been adopted in regard to these meteors. Aristotlo was
of opinion that they were bodies of combustible vapour in the air, which
caught fire at one end, and burned rapidly the whole way to the other. That
opinion was covived by Halley. Another opinion was that they were caused by
electricity - a flash of lightning in the highest region of the atmosphere.
Chladoi was of opinion that the heat developed by the rapidity with which
the bodies passed through the air acting on the substance of the meteoric
stones, gave to them the extremely luminous flash. As to the causes which
produced these large stones, they could as yet form no opinion whatever.
Shooting stars were next noticed by Mr. Herschel. These, he stated,
partook very much of the character of fireballs or aerolites; and after
noticing the great shower witnessed by Humboldt in 1799 in America, and a
similar shower thirty-four years afterwards, he stated that the 14th of the
present month was a day when the same phenomenon should be looked for. We
were ont eh even of having something which had kept people in expectation
for more than the third part of the century, and which for another third of
a century was not likely again to be witnessed. Last year a shower was seen
to take place on the morning of the 14th November, and that occureed over
Europe, Asia and Africa, where a shower was witnessed in 1839. This year
they might expect it to occur in America, and the reason why he supposed
these stars would tomorrow morning, just before daylight, be visible was
that they were seen by fishermen at Hull in 1833. Neither the fishermen nor
anybody else had mentioned having seen them at midnight on the night before,
therefore he did not hold out any hope that they would be seen this
(Wednesday) night. Mr. Herschel concluded, amid loud applause, by stating
his intention to produce by Friday night, when he will give his next
lecture, as near a copy of the shower as he could. The lecture was
brilliantly illustrated by diagrams and experiments, and was well received
by the audience.
Received on Mon 03 Mar 2003 11:27:04 PM PST