296 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



Planet 93 was discovered by Prof. J. C. Watson, at Ann Arbor, 

 Michigan. Aug. 24, 1867. Its position in mean time at Ann Arbor, 

 Sept. 8, 1867, 9h. 22m. 28.8s. was, right ascension 23h. ooni. 4.81s. ; 

 declination, 3 42' 30. 1". llth magnitude. 



Planet 94 was also discovered by Prof. J. C. Watson, at Ann 

 Arbor, Michigan, Sept. 6, 1867. Mean time on that day 16h. 15m. 

 37.45s.; right ascension, Oh. 56m. 31.34s.; declination -f- 6 11' 

 14.5". As bright as a star of the llth magnitude. 



METEORIC SHOWER OF NOVEMBER, 1867. 



The ideas of scientific men have been much enlarged of late in 

 regard to the nature of the showers of falling bodies, known as 

 meteors or shooting stars. An accumulated mass of observations, 



made both in Europe and this country, during, the past 30 years, 

 and a collection of historical data reaching back into earliest pe- 

 riods of history, bring us to the following conclusions : That the 

 meteors are a constant phenomenon ; that every hour of the day 

 or night they are striking the earth's atmosphere ; that they shine 

 by self-emitted radiance ; that they are ignited by force of impact 

 upon the atmosphere ; that they are of all sizes, from the smallest 

 conceivable dust to masses weighing several tons ; that they ap- 

 pear in the atmosphere at heights varying from 40 to 70 miles ; 

 that they are struck by the earth in its passage through space, but 

 have also a motion of their own, the combined effect of the two 

 reaching in some instances the extraordinary velocity of 36 miles 

 in a second. 



The researches of Schiaparelli and others lead to the conclusion 

 that these bodies, like some of the comets, come from the outer 

 and extreme regions of space, being gradually drawn in spiral 

 movements about the sun and planets, as they in drawing near 

 feel the increasing influence of mutual gravitation. It is consid- 

 ered certain that they do not belong to what is called the solar 

 svstem, but, coming from, every quarter of the starry heavens, ar- 

 range themselves in many eccentric bands and groups, forming a 

 vast nebula of dark bodies, which is denser as we draw nearer to 

 the sun. 



A part of this foreign system appears to be gaseous ; a part fine 

 dust; a part bodies of visible size called meteors, some of which 

 are compelled by atmospheric resistance to fall to the surface of 

 the earth. 



The zodiacal light, seen after the setting of the sun, is believed 

 now to be an atmosphere composed of solid and gaseous meteor- 

 ites of all sizes, gathered about the sun, and reflecting the light 

 of that luminary. 



At the 1867 meeting of the British Association, Prof. Alexander 

 Herschel remarked that the connection between comets and me- 

 teors had this year been established without doubt, and that con- 

 nection gave wide scope for speculation as to the origin and char- 

 acter of meteoric bodies. Mr. Huggins had made an observation 

 of the light of a comet, and although that observation was not 

 perfect, still it was sufficient to identify the light of the nucleus of 



