Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 75 



me cast distinct shadows, though less strongly marked than when the 

 moon is at the full. 



8. Numerous sparks, of the apparent size of the smaller stars, but 

 much more brilliant, were continually issuing from the ball of the 

 meteor, and after descending a little distance, soon disappeared. 



9. The length of time, in which the body was visible, was about 

 eight, or possibly ten seconds. 



1 0. A short time before its disappearance, — say one or two seconds, 

 — three much larger sparks, or luminous fragments, were thrown from 

 the body at the same moment. Two of these were apparently as 

 large as the planet Venus ; the third was still larger. These three 

 were the last pieces which I saw leave the body. Their paths were 

 at first nearly parallel with that of the meteor, yet beneath it. From 

 this direction, however, they all deviated constantly and rapidly in 

 parabolic curves, until they seemed falling perpendicularly towards 

 the earth. Each fragment became less and less distinct, until it dis- 

 appeared. The largest of the three continued visible until it was 

 within about 20 degrees of the horizon. 



11. The meteor itself disappeared as suddenly as if, in one indivi- 

 sible moment, it had passed into a medium absolutely opaque, or as if, 

 at a given moment, it had left the atmosphere ; but a few moments 

 afterwards there was a distinct and somewhat extensive illumination 

 over that part of the sky for about a second, as if the light of the de- 

 parting luminary had been reflected from some unknown surface to 

 the earth. 



12. When the meteor disappeared, it was about 30° above the ho- 

 rizon, and, as I judged from the course of the fence, in the direction 

 of N. 45° E., or 25° eastward of the place where 1 first saw it. I con- 

 cluded that the direction of its path was probably from W. by S. to E. 

 by N. It was obviously going from me ; its path making an angle 

 with the optic axis of about 60°. 



13. Not less than eight minutes, nor more than ten, after the dis- 

 appearance of the meteor, there was a report very loud and heavy, 

 accompanied with a very sensible jar. Though mistaken for thunder 

 by those who did not see the meteor, it did not much resemble either 

 thunder or the report of a cannon j but was louder, shorter and 

 sharper than either, and was followed by no perceptible echo. 



14. A friend of mine, who was in Berlin at the time, about 23 miles 

 due N. of New Haven, saw the meteor distinctly, but made no par- 

 ticular observations concerning it. His estimate of it accorded ge- 

 nerally with mine, but it appeared to him larger, more elevated, and 

 somewhat more to the East in its apparent place. — 1 could not learn 

 that the fragments which fell from it were discovered. — Silliman's 

 Journal, vol. xiii. p. 35. 



ON THE AURORA BOREALIS OF 26TH SEPT.: BY DR. FORSTER. 



Boreham, Nov. 25,1827. 

 Having seen the remarkable aurora which occurred on the 26th of 

 September last, slightly mentioned in several of the journals, but no 

 where accurately described, I send you the following brief notes on 



L 2 this 



