File:A beginner's star-book; an easy guide to the stars and to the astronomical uses of the opera-glass, the field-glass and the telescope (1912) (14592521698).jpg

Identifier: beginnersstarboo00murp (find matches)
Title: A beginner's star-book; an easy guide to the stars and to the astronomical uses of the opera-glass, the field-glass and the telescope
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Murphy, Edgar Gardner, 1869-1913
Subjects: Astronomy
Publisher: New York, London, G.P. Putnam's Sons
Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
obini, p. 29, was remarkable for the large relative size and impressive form of itshead; that of Morehouse, above, for the relative smallness of the head and the peculiarform and striking changes of the tail. Of meteors there is little to be said in a volume such as this, because they are of smalltelescopic interest. They are not, of course, real shooting stars, for they are relativelyvery small and they live and perish within our solar system. They rain a ceaseless rainupon the Earth. Nor do they fall at random out of space,, as was once thought. Theyrevolve, apparently in swarms, in orbits about the Sun,—some speeding in the same direc-tion as the planets, some with motions that are retrograde, and some in orbits that crossour own. So rapidly do they move that they enter our atmosphere with a velocity whichby the force of its impact with the air raises them to a heat of inconceivable intensity.The smaller bodies shine for a moment or two and are consumed; the larger fall, and when
Text Appearing After Image:
HEAD OF HALLEYS COMET, MAY 8, 1910 Reduced from Photograph taken at the Ml. Wilson Solar ObservatorySee also pp. Q2 and 137 95 96 a Beoinners Star^BooU picked up are called meteorites and aerolites. From about July 20th to Aug. i6th (maximumof display Aug. 11 th) the earth passes through a swarm of meteors which seem to radiatefrom the direction of the constellation Perseus. They are therefore called the Perseids.In November, about the 15th, we meet the Leonids, coming from the apparent directionof Leo. The Geminids (Gemini) are seen about December yth and for some days there-after. November 24th is the date for the Andromedes; October 19th, for the Orionids;May 6th, for those coming from the region of the star Eta (>)) in Aquarius; July 28th, forthose coming from the region of Delta (<5) in Aquarius; April 20th, for those coming fromthe region of Lyra. In counting them, an opera-glass or a field-glass of low power is some-times useful, especially in noting those with the lower

Note About Images