A RECENT STAR SHOWER. 195 



cause of the comet's dissipation, because for our present 

 purpose we only require to consider those parts of the 

 comet's history which are related to the recent meteoric 

 display. The association between the star-shower and 

 the vanished comet must now be indicated. 



We have seen that the comet's path crosses close 

 by the earth's. Consequently, the association between 

 comets and meteors now recognised by astronomers 

 leads us to expect that the earth, in crossing the 

 comet's track, would be saluted by meteors. What we 

 have learned from the November meteors teaches us 

 further to expect that the most remarkable display of 

 these Bielan meteors would occur when the earth 

 crossed the comet's track soon after the comet had 

 6 gone that way.' So that since the comet passed early 

 last autumn, it was to be expected that the earth's 

 passage of the comet's track late in the autumn months 

 would be attended by a meteoric display. 



Now, we have seen that in 1832 the earth's destruc- 

 tion was expected because the comet crossed the part 

 of the earth's orbit which she traverses on November 30. 

 So that if matters had remained unaltered a display 

 of Bielan meteors was to be expected on the night of 

 November 30. But it was known that the place of 

 passage, owing to perturbations of the comet, is shift- 

 ing backwards along the earth's track, and, as a matter 

 of fact, November 27, the very day of the recent star- 

 shower, would correspond with the time of the earth's 

 crossing the comet's track. For Dr. Weiss, a Grerman 

 astronomer, calculated that in 1858 the date of 



o 2 



