38
ON THE ORBIT AND PHENOMENA
SECOND SECTION.
THIRD
SECTION.
Position and Motion op
Changes in the Elements ; of
Position and Motion of
Changes in The Elements of
Meteor.
its Orbit.
Meteor.
its Orbit.
Mea a height
above sea level
in miles.
Mean distance
from perigee.
Length of arc
j described.
Increase in length
of semi-axis ma
jor, in miles.
Loss of velocity-
in decimals of
a mile per se
cond.
Diminution of
eccentricity in
decimals of the
semi-axis major.
Direct motion of
the perigee in
seconds.
Mean height
above sea level
in miles.
Mean distance
from perigee.
1 Length of arc
J described.
Increase in length
of semi-axis ma
jor, in miles.
Loss of velocity
in decimals of
a mile per se
cond.
Diminution of ec
centricity in de
cimals of the se
mi-axis major.
Retrograde mo
tion of the peri
gee in seconds.
55.08
9 o 1' 5"
11'52"
1.0
.0012
.0009
2"
39.22
0° 53' 9"
7'58
16.3
.0183
.0149
5"
39.37
13 1
11 41
23.2
.0257
.0207
7
53.56
8 49 58
10 25
1.1
.0014
.0012
2
39.57
1 14 47
11 38
22.5
.0244
.0196
9
39.80
1 26 31
11 34
21.7
.0231
.0186
10
52.16
8 39 37
10 22
1.5
.0019
.0015
3
40.07
1 38 12
11 30
20.8
.0217
.0174
10
40.36
1 49 50
11 27
19.8
.0203
.0162
10
50.80
8 29 19
10 19}
2.0
.0024
.0019
4}
40.69
2 1 26
11 23
18.6
.0189
.0151
n
41.06
2 12 57
11 19
17.4
.0175
.0139
10
49.40
8 19 5
10 17
2.5
.0031
.0025
6
41.45
2 24 25
11 16
16.3
.0161
.0128
11
41.87
2 35 50
11 13
15.1
.0147
.0116
12
48.20
8 8 55
10 14}
3.3
.0039
.0032
7
42.32
2 47 12
11 9
13.8
.0133
.0105
11
42.79
2 58 22
11 6
12.5
.0120
.0095
10
46.93
7 58 48
10 12
4.2
.0050
.0041
9}
43.30
3 9 46
11 3
11.4
.0108
.0086
10
43.83
3 20 58
11 0
10.4
.0097
.0076
10
45.70
7 48 46
10 9}
5.3
.0064
.0052
12}
44.40
3 32 6
10 57
9.3
.0086
.0068
10
44.99
3 43 11
10 53
8.1
.0076
.0060
9
44.51
7 38 48
10 7
6.8
.0081
.0065
15
45.60
3 54 12
10 50
7.3
.0068
.0052
7
46.24
4 5 9
10 48
6.4
.0060
.0046
7
43.34
7 28 57
10 4}
8.6
.0101
.0082
19}
46.91
4 16 3
10 45
5.6
.0052
.0040
7
47.60
4 26 53
10 42
4.9
.0045
.0035
6
42.21
7 19 11
10 2
10.8
.0126
.0102
23}
48.32
4 37 40
10 39
4.2
.0038
.0030
5
49.07
4 48 23
10 36
3.7
.0033
.0026
4
41.10
7 9 30
10 1}
13.5
.0157
.0127
29
49.84
4 59 3
10 34
3.1
.0028
.0022
3
50.63
5 9 44
10 32
2.6
.0024
.0019
3
39.87
6 58 20
13 9}
23.1
.0264
.0212
44
51.45
5 20 13
10 29
2.3
.0020
.0016
2
52.29
53.16
5 30 43
5 41 10
10 26
10 24
1.9
1.6
.0017
.0014
.0013
.0011
2
Total changes .
83.7
.0982
.0793
2' 57}"
2
54.05
54.96
5 51 35
6 1 57
10 22
10 19
1.3
1.1
.0012
.0010
.0009
.0008
2
2 j
55.89
6 12 17
10 16
.9
.0008
.0006
i
Total decrease in perigeal distance 1109 feet.
56.85
6 22 33
10 14
.8
.0007
.0005
i
57.83
6 32 47
10 12
.6
.0006
.0005
i
58.83
6 42 59
10 10
.5
.0005
.0003
i
59.86
6 53 9
10 8
.4
.0004
.0003
i
60.91
7 3 17
10 6
.3
.0003
.0002
i
61.98
7 13 23
10 4
.3
.0002
.0002
i
63.07
7 23 27
10 1
.2
.0002
.0002
i
64.18
7 33 28
9 59
.2
.0002
.0001
0
65.32
7 43 27
9 57
.1
.0001
.0001
0
66.47
7 53 23
9 55
.1
.0001
.0001
0
67.63
8 3 17
9 53 •
.1
.0001
.0000
0
Tot
il changes
. . .
307.7
.3090
.2456
3' 35"
Total decrease in perigeal distance 422 feet.
In regard to the effect on the different elements, as shown in the foregoing tabular
statement, it is to be remarked that, while the changes in the major axis, velocity,
and eccentricity were cumulative, and would at length, if continued, have rendered
the orbit parabolic and then elliptical, those in the longitude of the perigee were
oscillatory, the motion being direct in the 2d section, where the meteor was approach
ing the perigee, and retrograde in the 3d section, where it receded from it, and so
may not be at variance with the conclusion arrived at by La Place, in his investiga
tion of Encke’s comet, that a resisting medium does not permanently affect the posi
tion of the line of apsides of an orbit. Another fact noticeable in this connection,
