Newton’s “findings.” Dr. Adams predicted that the Leonids would return in November, 1866 and in November, 1899, occupying several years, upon each occasion, in passing a point in this earth’s orbit.
There were meteors upon the night of Nov. 13-14, 1866. They were plentiful. They often are in the middle of November. They no more resembled the spectacle of 1833 than an ordinary shower resembles a cloudburst. But the “demonstration” required that there should be an equal display, or, according to some aspects, a greater display, upon the corresponding night of the next year. There was a display, the next year; but it was in the sky of the United States, and was not seen in England. Another occurrence nothing like that of 1833 was reported from the United States.
By conventional theory, this earth was in a vast, wide stream of meteors, the earth revolving so as to expose successive parts to bombardment. So keenly did Richard Proctor visualize the earth so immersed and so bombarded, that, when nothing was seen in England, he explained. He spent most of his life explaining. In the Student, 2-254, he wrote: “Had the morning of November 14, 1867 been clear in England, we should have seen the commencement of the display, but not its more brilliant part.”
We have had some experience with the “triumphs” of astronomers: we have some suspicions as to their greatly advertised accuracy. We shall find out for ourselves whether the morning of Nov. 14, 1867 was clear enough in England or not. We suspect that it was a charming morning, in England—
Monthly Notices, R. A. S.’ 28-32:
Report by E. J. Lowe, Highfield House, night of Nov. 13-14, 1867:
“Clear at 1.10 a. m.; high, thin cumuli, at 2 a. m., but sky not covered until 3.10 a. m., and the moon’s place visible until 3.55 a. m.; sky not overcast until 5.50 a. m.”
The determination of the orbital period of thirty-three years and a quarter, but with appearances of a period of thirty-three years, was arrived at by Prof. Newton by searching old records, finding that, in an intersection-period of thirty-three years, there
