January. 1904.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



11 



uiiud the very low density of Jiipiter^tliat the whole 

 globe is still in au intensely heated, semi-moUcu and 

 viseous couditiou, and that what we see is but the outer- 

 U'.ost shell of visible material. Professor Hough, in his 

 important and valuable paper already ivferred to, suggests 

 that the visible lx>uudary of Jupiter has a density of al)out 

 oue-half that of water, is of the nature of a liquid, and 

 that in it are immersed the Ked S]H)t and otliers wliose 

 motion in longitude and latitude are slow and gradual, and 

 whieh are tolerably permanent or long enduring. Ho 

 considers that the equatorial and other belts-may be at the 

 surface of this liquid or at a higher level than the Red 

 Spot, and that the equatorial regions may Ix' concealed 

 by overlying vapours at a much greater altitude, iu wliich 

 openings and iiregular condensations give rise to the 

 ap)>earance of white and dark spots. 



No doubt there are many interesting questions iu con- 

 nection with Jupiter of whieh the solution must be left 

 for future students ; but this much, at any rate, we may 

 suggest with some contidenee : — We look at Mars and our 

 own satelUte. iu them we see a forecast of physical con- 

 ditions to which some day the eiirth must at least approxi- 

 mately attain. We look at Jupiter, and, in the constant 

 agitation of his heated glolje, we catch a glimpse, though 

 on a giant scale, of our own world in the dim recesses of 

 the j>ast. 



The accompanying diagram will enable the reader to 



5 STcmperaIn Zone 

 5 TempcraJe Zone 

 5 Tropical Zone 



Equatorial Zone 



N. Tropica I Zone 

 U Temperate Zone v- 

 N N. Temperate Zone ^ 



S Polar Shadinq 

 .^ S.Temperate Belt 



^S.Tefnperate Bell 



SEquatonal Bell 



Equatorial Band 

 N Equatorial Belt 



N Temperate Bel I 

 N N Temperate Bell 



N Polar Shading 



identify the various features referi'ed to iu the above 

 article and depicted in the illustrations. 



THE SHOWER OF LEONID METEORS IN 1903. 



By W. F. Denning, f.r.a.s. 



Tejipel's comet (1S66 I.) and the dense swanu of meteors 

 in its contiguous region having passed through perihelion 

 unobserved in 1899 the prospect of a fine shower of 

 Leonids in 1903 appeared very doubtful. The meteors 

 being, however, pretty thickly distributed along a con- 

 siderable extent of the orbit, a fairly active recurrence of the 

 shower was thought to be quite possible. Those oljservers 

 who watched for its return on the morning of November 

 Ifi realised their best expectations. The Leonids were 

 aljuudantly presented, offering the test meteoric spectacle 

 observed in England since 1885, and forming the prototype, 

 if far from being the parallel, of the grand exhibitions of 

 1799, 1833 and 1866. 



The following are brief extracts from observations on 

 the night following November 15, which have either been 

 published or jirivately communicated to the writer : — ■ 



Backhouse, T. W., Sunderland. — Between 17h. 44ra.and 

 18h. 5m., about 83 meteors per hour. A Leonid fireball 

 seen at 15h. 49m. The Leonids were bright generally. 



Of 65 recorded, 1 being = Veuus, -i = Jupiter, 15 = Sirius, 

 and 26 brighter than, or equal to, 1st miguitude stirs. 



BrooJ:, C.L.,Miltliam, near Hitddcrsfiehl. —Btitwd'n \-2\\. 

 and 15h. 30m., 52 Leonids were seen, after wliich clouds 

 interfered. Verv brilliant Leonid at 13h. .59im., 2 x +. 

 shot from 137'."" -^ 8^" to 133' ± 0'. Radiant of shower, 



Corder, 11., Bridijwaler. — Between 17h. and 18h., about 

 200 meteors per hour. Estimated position of radiant, 

 149= + 22". 



Cruee, W. de, E.teter. — Between 16h. 25ni. and 17li. lOiii., 

 108 meteors observed. 



Dennimj, W. F., Brislol.—The disphiy watched between 

 12h. and 18h. 15m. Maximum, 17h. 30m. to 17h. 45ni. 

 42 meteors. Radiant, 151° -|- 22=, about 6 degrees iu 

 diameter. 



Ellison, Rev. W. F. A., Enniacortlnj.—lUi. 45iii. to 

 12h. 45m., 5 Leonids; 12h. 45m. to 13h. 45m., 16 Leonids; 

 13h. 45m. to 14h 45m., 36 Leonids; 14h. 45m. to 151i., 

 11 Leonids; loh. to 15h. 15m., Leonids! Three fireballs 

 seen, 13h. 40m., 153' + 43° to 185' + 28° (Taurid) ; 

 13h. 58m., 160=" + 18° to 166° + 12° (Leonid) ; and 

 14h. 19m., 210' -|- 65° to 273° + 58P (Leonid). 



livyal Observatory, Greenwich. — About 150 meteors seen, 

 some as bright as Venus, the most prolific time being 

 about IBh., wiieu they appeared at the rate of 100 j^er 

 hour. 



Ilenrij, J. B., Duhliii.—h'J Leonids seen in 15 minutes 

 preceding 15h., and 20 in 15 minutes following that hour. 

 Between "leh. and 17h. 30m. observer had the impression 

 that meteors were appearing at the rate of from 200 to 

 300 per hour. 



Herschel, Prof. A. S., Slotigh.— Not much short of 200- 

 250 meteors per hour. Brilliant Venus-like meteors 

 observed at 16h. 31m., 17h. 33m., and 17h. 41m. 



Horner, Maiires, Taploiv.—THmng last hour of darkness 

 counted S6 meteors, nearly all of which were Leonids. 



Johnson, Kev. S. /., '7?r((//./orf.— Several hundreds of 

 meteors with the usual Leouid streaks and swift moUons 

 must have passed across the whole sky. 16h. 27 \m., 

 Leonid equal to Venus, 192° + 13° to 195° -|- 10'. 



KniijU, G. M., Lo/«/<v«.— Novemlier 14-17, 217 Leonids 

 registered at Hauipstead. Five fireballs seen with streaks, 

 indicating radiant at 149V° -f 23°. Maximum 171i. 3iim., 

 November 15. 



Kinij, A., ShetHeld. — 17h. 57m. to 18h. 3m., 18 Leonids. 

 Hourly rate, about 200. Radiant, 148' + 22°. 



Milliyan, W. //., County !><>(';«.— Apparent maximum, 

 14h to 16h., with horary rate of 80 to 100 for one observer. 

 Radiant, 149° + 22°. 



MrlLini, John, Lishurn.—Vih. 20m. to 14h. 20m., 20 

 Leonids, large proportion 1st magnitude; 13h. 45m., vivid 

 green fireball from Taurus, 103° ± 0° to 112' - 6'. 



Moffat, A. G., Swansea.— Idh. 30m. to 18h., a brilliant 

 display of large meteors ; some green-coloured, the major 

 portion, however, electric blue. 



Service, R., Dumfries.— ISh.dOm. to 19h., 42 Leonids 



observed. 



Thonipson, G. C, CacfZi/f'.— Watching with a friend for 

 several hours, only about 25 Leonids were seen ; a number 

 of other meteors radiated from Auriga. 



Wriijht, F. H., Northamj)ton.—lbh. to 15h. 3Uui., 30 

 meteors; 15h. 30ia. to 16h., 60 meteors ; afterwards counted 

 about 3 or 4 per minute. Maximum at about 17h. I3m., 

 near which time 8 or 10 were several times counted in one 

 minute, and 5 or 6 visible in the sky at the same instant. 



The general results may be summarized as follows :^ 

 Time of maximum, November 15, 17h. 40m. 

 Rate of apparition, 4 per minute for one observer. 



