CHAPTER XIII.
THE RELATION OF COMETS TO METEORS.
Association of Comets and Meteors.—Facts connected with Meteors necessary to be borne in mind.—Summary statement of these.—Meteor Showers of 1799 and 1832.—Shower of 1866.—Evident periodicity.—Researches of Quetelet and H. A. Newton.—Investigations by J. C. Adams.—Schiaparelli and the August Meteors.—Orbits of certain Meteor Swarms identical with the Orbits of certain Comets.—Four such cases of identity recognised.—The August, or Perseid, Meteors.—The Nov. 12, or Leonid, Meteors.—The April, or Lyrid, Meteors.—The Nov. 27, or Andromedes, Meteors.—The disappearance of Biela's Comet.—The certainty of the connection of the Andromedes Meteors with that Comet.—Recent investigations as to that Comet.—Review of the whole subject.
Not the least interesting of the modern developements Cometary Astronomy is the discovery that in certain ca a relation exists between comets and meteors. Time was, so very long ago, when comets were considered (and righ matters of pure Astronomy, whilst meteors of all kinds, so-called "shooting stars" included, were looked upon belonging to the domain of terrestrial Meteorology. How association came to be known needs to be told in a dealing with the matter from the astronomical side, bul I desire to avoid going more deeply into the subject of met than is absolutely necessary, I must ask the reader to tak trust a few facts baldly stated, referring him to other w< for details. The facts contemplated in the foregoing remark are following: (1) shooting stars may be seen on almost eM night of the year in some part of the heavens ; (2) th< more numerous at certain seasons of the year than at c (3) whilst odd ones may often be noticed anywhere,