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Meteors. C$3 



XLV. Intelligence and Mtfcellaneous Articles. 

 Augujl, 1801. 



'N the id of January laft another New Placet isfaid 

 to have been difeovered by M. Piazzi, of Palermo, and ob- 

 served by him alone for fix weeks, when he fell ill. It feems 

 he concealed the difcovery, to prei'erveall the honour to him- 

 felf, and to enjoy exclufively, for a time, at leaft all the ob- 

 servations. While he obierved it, it clefcribed an arch of 

 about io'\ 



M. Bode thinks it may be not a comet, but a planet be- 

 tween Mars and Jupiter ; but fays however that the arch is 

 too fmall to allow much confidence to be placed on the cal- 

 culations of an elliptical orbit, which have been formallv 

 made by Dr. Burchardt, affiftant to De Lalande, and pub- 

 limed in Zach's journal. 



Burchardt gives its place, computed from his elements 

 for fome time to come. It was paft its opposition to the 

 fun, and of the fize of a ftar of the 8th magnitude: its mean 

 diftance from the fun 2* 7 times that or the earth, and the 

 periodical time nearly four years and two months : its eccen- 

 tricity fmall ; inclination of orbit between n° and 12°. It 

 was in its aphelion on the beginning of January. 



It will foon be known whether thefe calculations be well 

 founded or not, when the planet, if it be one, comes again to 

 be vilible by withdrawing from the fun's rays. 



METEORS. 



On the night of June 19th, between twelve and one, a 

 moft beautiful phenomenon was obferved at Hull, from the 

 S. W. refembline; an immenie moon, with a black bar acrofs 

 on its firft appearance; it feemed then gradually to form it- 

 felfinto feven fmall diitin6t moons, or globes of fire, which 

 difappearcd for the fpace of a few feconds. Its re-appearance 

 was equally brilliant, at firft mowing itfelf like the face of the 

 moon, afterwards in live circular balls, and laftly like feveral 

 fmall ftars, which gradually faded away, leaving the whole 

 atmofphere beautifully illuminated. During the time of its 

 being vifible, a faint blue light fell upon the furrounding ob- 

 jects ; and when entirely gone, the fky was ferene, like that 

 of a fine Cummer's morning. — Hull Acheriifer, Julv 4. 



On the evening of the 14th of July, about half after nine, 

 a remarkable meteor was ieen at Montgaillard. The fky was 

 clear and the wind calm. An exhalation like a common 

 cloud then gradually arofe. It feemed of the length of 3003 



fathoms, 



