1088 Marvels of the Universe 
ease. There are, however, several 
which are especially prominent, and 
the dates and positions of these are 
given below.* 
All these showers appear annually 
except the Andromeda shower, which 
only shows itself about every six and 
ahalf years, and is supposed to be 
associated with the lost Comet of 
Biela, or, indeed, to be the lost 
Comet reduced to fragments ! 
The showers of August and 
November are often on such a large 
scale, that they have frequently been 
recorded by non-scientific historians 
through many centuries, and the 
special attention given to them by 
astronomers during recent years 
enables us to speak somewhat con- 
fidently about them. 
In addition to the Shooting Stars, 
which are referred to in the fore- 
going paragraphs as being subject to 
laws with respect to time and_ place, 
it must be mentioned that we may 
Xe . often see single stray Shooting Stars, 
aA: aa i ey s e z le Sie. of which it cannot yet be said that 
faded out, ending in two short flashes of light. The above is the trace  QTOUDS. They may seem to have 
left’ ona photographic plate. no links with any particular group, 
and may appear to be quite erratic, yet it is probable that in real truth they are nothing of 
the kind, though we may be unable, for lack of sufficient observations, to particularize their 
point of origin and their associations. 
Independently of their attachment to particular groups, 1t must be stated that there is a distinct 
variation in the visible number of these objects, depending both on the season of the year and the 
hour of the night. _ For instance, during the last six months of the year Shooting Stars are much 
more numerous than in the first six months, almost to the extent of being double in number. This 
is a perfectly established fact, and applies not only to Shooting Stars, commonly so-called, but to 
the larger meteors to which I shall have to allude directly. As regards the hourly variation between 
sunset and sunrise, it is quite certain that these objects are more numerous between 2.0 a.m. and 
Date. Constellation. Position in R. A. Position in Declination. 
HM 2 
January 2 - - (Juadrans - - 15 20 2 = 53 North 
April 20 - - Lyra - - - ig © - - 33 North 
July 28 = - Aquarius = - 22 36 - - 12 South 
August 10 - = Perseus - 2 2 RB A - - 57 North 
October 18 — - = Orion - - - ORS 15 North 
November 13 - - Leo : . = 10. Oo - - 22 North 
November 20 - - Taurus - - . 4 8 - - 23 North 
November 27 - - Andromeda - - I 40 - - 44 North 
December 10 - = Gemini - - - i] 2B - - 33 North 
