x THE STARRY HEAVENS 409 



The past history of the Leonids, which Le 

 Verrier has traced out with great probability, 

 if not proved, is very interesting. They did 

 not, he considers, approach the Sun until 

 126 A.D., when, in their career through the 

 heavens, they chanced to come near to Uranus. 

 But for the influence of that planet they 

 would have passed round the Sun, and then 

 departed again for ever. By his attraction, 

 however, their course was altered, and they 

 will now continue to revolve round the 

 Sun. 



There is a remarkable connection between 

 star showers and comets, which, however, is 

 not yet thoroughly understood. Several star 

 showers follow paths which are also those of 

 comets, and the conclusion appears almost 

 irresistible that these comets are made up of 

 Shooting Stars. 



We are told, indeed, that 150,000,000 of 

 meteors, including only those visible with a 

 moderate telescope, fall on the earth annually. 

 At any rate, there can be no doubt that 

 every year millions of them are captured by 

 the earth, thus constituting an appreciable, 



