STONES THAT FALL FROM THE STARS.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 June 1924, Page 1

STONES THAT FALL FROM THE STARS.

The earth is a. target for all kinds of celestial missile.-. This may sound incredible. yet it is true, says J. A. Llovd in “Daily Mail.”

Astronomers estimate that over twenty million meteorites enter our atmosphere every twenty-four hours. They vary from miseroseopic particles to huge masses weighing several hundredweights. Most of them, however, are so small that the friction they encounter as they rush through tin* air .sets them oil lire. They are entirely consumed before they reach the earth’s surface. Some, however, are massive enough to survive tin* passage through the air, and are afterwards recovered. A large collection can lie seen at the Natural History Museum. South Kensington. In 1402. a meteorite Tell at Knsisheitii. in Alsace. A terrific noise drew attention to its fall. It was found in a hole, having penetrated 3 feet into the ground. Jt was deposited in the church, and drew large crowds to see it. The mass weighed originally 2001 b. A- fragment is preserved in South Kensington. A meteorite fell on Mt. 5 ai.son, in Provence, in 1037. It was about the size and shape of a mail's head, and weighed .5-llb.

Another .small meteorite icll at Milull in li>o|. list ruck and killed a Franciscan.

The liiM recorded I'.ngli'h iin-l <‘«>rit f fell ill ’Wold Col 1.1-0. ill Yorkshire. in \mv in Sonlll Kensington. it Weighs fjlilh. In 17ilS ;i stone fell nonf llenares. India. It wns observed both by Knropoun residents and natives. 3'onr fiagnioiils were recovered. I liov lnld penetrated li inches into 1 1io soil. Alteruoi'ds sovornl fragments worn fninid. Ono. weighing ‘Jlli. lind 1 :ill**n through llio niiif ol' :i lint, tini'fowlv missing llio noon |><i lit. and I ill rio« 1 itsolt in the llooi.

A. shower of sionos 101 l at I. Aigle. in Normandy, in ISOM. A l;iillianl meteor sorn moving with great rapidity. 'I 11,.n a violonl explo-ion Was lionrd and m! is.-os wore soon lo fall. Tlio largest, weighed 171II*.

Three sionos foil near Orleans in ISIO. Ono weighed ‘Jtllb. Wlion takon out of tlio oartli liall an hour after it was too lmt to liandlo. Tlio second woioliod llilh. and penetrated to a doptli of •'! foot. A stone weighing lli.tlh. foil at Naniemoe, .Maryland, in IS‘_V>. When found it was still warm and smelled strongly of sulphur. The ‘‘lfatsui'a" motoorito foil in India in 1%1. A loud explosion wa“ hoard and fragments of .stone 101 l over a wide area. When rooovorod they titled together. though piooos are still wanting. A mass of nearly pure iron 101 l at Rowtoii. Shropshire, in JB7ti. It weighs 7'| pounds. In 11)1-1 a mass weighing ;i:ilh. foil near Wigan, while in UMi. a stone weighing oßll> fell at forth, Seotlatid. This was broken into four pieces. The famous stone in the Kaaha. Mecca, which Mohammedans worship, is a meteorite.

STUDYING MOLECULES. -Motion pictures, to study the actions of molecules, were described hy Professor Wesley G. France, of Ohio State University, in a paper delivered here before the American Chemical Society. The motion pictures wore those of the •‘Rrowniau movements,” or irregular jerkings of very small particles immersed in fluids. The movements are caused by the jolting of fast-moving molecules against the limiting panicles and although the molecules themselves cannot be seen, many things about them may be learned from a study of these “Rrowniau movements.” So Professor France took motion pictures of particles of basic carbonate of lead, about 1-25,000 of an inch in diameter, a powerful micsroscope being attached to the camera. The negatives thus obtained were then ..projected on a screen so that a total magnification of from 50,000 to 200,000 diameters was obtained. Measurements of the wiggling of the particles of lead carbonate were then made under varying conditions.