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[Illustration: Fig. 1. THE SOLAR SYSTEM. _Frontispiece._]
THEIR PHENOMENA IN ALL AGES; THEIR MUTUAL RELATIONS; AND THE THEORY OF THEIR ORIGIN.
PROFESSOR OF MATHEMATICS IN INDIANA UNIVERSITY, AND AUTHOR OF "METEORIC ASTRONOMY."
PHILADELPHIA: J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO. 1873.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by DANIEL KIRKWOOD, LL.D., In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.
The origin of meteoric astronomy, as a science, dates from the memorable star-shower of 1833. Soon after that brilliant display it was found that similar phenomena had been witnessed, at nearly regular intervals, in former times. This discovery led at once to another no less important, viz.: that the nebulous masses from which such showers are derived revolve about the sun in paths intersecting the earth's orbit. The theory that these meteor-clouds are but the scattered fragments of disintegrated comets was announced by several astronomers in 1867:--a theory confirmed in a remarkable manner by the shower of meteors from the _débris_ of Biela's comet on the 27th of November, 1872.
To gratify the interest awakened in the public mind by the discoveries here named, is the main design of the following work. Among the subjects considered are, cometary astronomy; aerolites, with the phenomena attending their fall; the most brilliant star-showers of all ages; and the origin of comets, aerolites, and falling stars.
It may be proper to remark that the language used by the writer in a volume[1] published several years since, and now nearly out of print, has been occasionally adopted in the following treatise.
CHAPTER I. A GENERAL VIEW OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM 9
CHAPTER II. COMETS 13 COMETS VISIBLE IN THE DAY-TIME 15 PERIODIC COMETS 18
CHAPTER III. COMETS WHOSE ELEMENTS INDICATE PERIODICITY, BUT WHOSE RETURNS HAVE NOT BEEN RECOGNIZED 31
CHAPTER V. THE POSITION AND ARRANGEMENT OF COMETARY ORBITS 43
CHAPTER VI. THE DISINTEGRATION OF COMETS 49
CHAPTER VIII. SHOOTING-STARS--METEORS OF NOVEMBER 14 69
CHAPTER X. THE ORIGIN OF COMETS AND METEORS 94