i86 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Bhowed the true radiant to be situated on the northern limit of Perseus, 

 close to the star Eta of that constellation ; and more recent determi- 

 nations of a similar nature have fully corroborated that as the chief 

 diverging center of the August meteors. Many other contemporary 

 showers have been detected in the same region of the heavens, but the 

 shower of Perseids recurs year after year from its accustomed point. 



During the last eleven years the writer at Bristol has awaited the 

 annual returns of this shower, and the aggregate results of observa- 

 tions during the interval between the 6th and 12th of August show 

 that 2,345 meteors have been recorded, of which 1,428 belonged to the 



Fig. 4. Suowek from Camelopardus (96+ 71), August 6ih-12th. 



display of Perseids, and 917 to other minor streams of the same epoch. 

 In 1889 the radiant was judged to be at rj Persei ; in 1871 at B. Came- 

 lopardi ; and in 1874 at 44 -f 58^, The average position found dur- 

 ing the last five years has been at 44 + 57 ; and in the diagram (Fig. 

 2) a number of paths near this radiant are shown. Some of the me- 

 teors appear to be slightly erratic in their directions ; but this may be 

 explained either by errors of observation or by a double or diffused 

 radiant point, Avhich must often occasion non-conformity in the ob- 

 served flights. In 1878 two points of departure were manifest from a 

 series of precisely fixed courses at 44 -f 59 and 42i -f 54 ; but in 

 1879 the weather interrupted observations. The present year, how- 

 ever, afforded an exceptionally favorable opportunity to observers, and 

 the major radiant determined by the writer was at 44 -f 56, with the 

 decided traces of a sub-radiant at 45 + 60. In 1878 Major Tupman 



