Abstract
THE ANDROMEDES, NOVEMBER 27, 1886.—P. F. Denza, writing in Cosmos under date December 2, gives the results of the watch maintained on the night of November 27 last at seven observatories distributed over the Italian peninsula. All the reports alike agree in showing that there was no repetition, of the shower of 1885, the number of meteors observed being no greater than on an ordinary night, and of these the majority radiated from Perseus and Taurus, only very few from the radiant of the Andromedes. It follows, therefore, from these observations and those of 1873 and 1885, that the meteoric cloud giving rise to the shower is of comparatively small extent, but very dense. This fact tends to confirm the theory of the recent formation of the stream and of its origination in the disintegration of Biela's comet. The interval, thirteen years, between 1872 and 1885, corresponds to two revolutions of the comet; but the earth was in quite a different part of its orbit at the date of the intermediate return, and therefore no shower was witnessed.
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Our Astronomical Column . Nature 35, 231–232 (1887). https://doi.org/10.1038/035231a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/035231a0