Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 90, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 February 1917 — FACTS ABOUT THE EARTH [ARTICLE]

FACTS ABOUT THE EARTH

Atmosphere Now Believed by Scientists to HFave Three Fairly Distinct Strata. The earth’s atmosphere is now’ believed to have three 'fairly distinct strata, the first extending up tb about forty-five miles, having nitrogen as the leading constituent ; the second, with its upper limit at about 125 miles, being chiefly hydrogen, and the third, at a still greater height, consisting of a very thin gas which has been named “geocorpnium.” Dr. Alfred Wegener has attempted to explain the striking differences of color in meteors or “shooting stars,” and says ttfat meteors coming from ’outer, space tire not sufficiently heated in the exceedingly light gas to become luminous. Their fall through the hydrogen layer causes them to become incandescent, and before they reach the lowest stratum most, of them are completely dissipated. A few of the largest however penetrate the nitrogen atmosphere, a very small number reaching the earth’s surface. It is found that the deep-fall-ing meteors pass through three stages of color, yellow-white, green and deep red- — and it is concluded that the green is due to Incandescence of the .hydrogen and the red to that of the nitrogen. Only the first, stage is seen in the quickly dissipated meteors, the white, yellow or sometimes reddishness being evidently the glow of the meteor substance.