METEORS BY CHARLES P. OLIVIER ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OFXSf RONOMY AT
THE UNIVERSITY OP VIRGINIA AND ASTRONOMER AT THE LEANDEB McCoRMicK
OBSERVATOBY BALTIMORE WILLIAMS WILKINS COMPANY 1925 COPYRIGHT, 1925
WILLIAMS WILKINS COMPANY Made in United States of America Published
March, 1925 COMPOSED AND PRINTED AT THE WAVERLY PRESS TUB WlLMAMB
WlLKINR COMPANY BALTJMORB, Mn., U. 8. A. THE GIIEAT BOLIDE OF
SEPTEMBER 12, 1923 Photographed by Josef Kleposta, at 21 h 55 m 25
8 G. M. T., at Prague Observa tory. TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER
GEORGE WYTHE OLIVIER THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED PREFACE One of the few
departments of astronomy that has not been brought up to date in a
recent book is that dealing with meteors. An excel lent book on
meteorites, by 0. C. Farrington, was published in 1915, and during
the past few years several important researches on meteors proper
have appeared, but no general work on meteoric astronomy has been
published since 1871. Such a book, however, is urgently needed,
because much of the most valuable recent work on this subject has
appeared in foreign periodicals inaccessible to the average reader.
In this book many of the most important of these articles are
briefly reviewed, and numerous references are given enabling the
reader to follow up the subject, if he so desires. The more
mathematical and theoretical sections have been segregated and may
be omitted without destroying the continuity of the book as a whole
for general reading and reference. Practical examples, given in
detail, are added for the use of the amateur who may wish to
compute his own orbits. As Schiaparellis classical work
Sternschnuppen is now very difficult to obtain, and has never
appeared in either anEnglish or French edition, many sections of it
have been adopted. The methods for computing orbits are taken
almost unchanged from the publications of Lehmann-Filhes. The
method for computing real heights, due to Schaeberle, is reproduced
from one of the Lick Observatory publica tions, with the kind
permission of Director W. W. Campbell. Acknowledgment is here made
for all the above material. The writer accepts full responsibility
for all opinions and criticisms which appear, unless definite
references are made to others. It is only fair to state this fact
since his opinions, particularly upon radiants and the
interpretation of observations, differ radically in certain
respects from those of others who have done important work in
meteoric astronomy. Further it is clearly to be understood that the
opinions here expressed supersede any formerly published by him, as
in more than one phase of the subject longer study and experience
have caused him very considerably to modify those previously held.
And these in turn are, of course, liable to further vii Vlll
PREFACE change since, in a subject like meteoric astronomy, few
opinions can be final. Most grateful acknowledgment is due to the
Superintendent of the United States Naval Observatory, Captain E.
T. Pollock, for kindly placing at the writers disposal the
facilities of the splendid library of that institution. The
preparation of this book would have been impossible without the use
of this library, where most of the actual writing was done, while
on leave of absence from the University of Virginia. The writer is
further under great obliga tions to the following gentlemen for
advice and assistance, especially in reading various parts of
themanuscript Prof. W. S. Eichelberger, Prof. A. Hall, Prof. G. A.
Hill, Dr. W. D. Horigan, Dr. W. J. Hum phreys, Prof. F. B. Littell,
Dr. Geo. P. Merrill, Dr. H. R. Morgan, Mr. G. H. Peters, Dr. Thomas
L. Watson, Mr. C. B. Watts, and Mr. J. D. Wise. Further grateful
acknowledgments are due to Prof. Edwin B. Frost, Mr. L. E. Jewell,
Prof. Josef Klepesta, Dr. W. J. S. Lockyer, Dr. Geo. P. Merrill,
Dr. Thomas L. Watson, The Astrophysical Journal, the Lick
Observatory, Mt. Wilson Observa tory, and Yerkes Observatory for
the use of illustrations...
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