on Monday i the 11th ofFehruary 1850. 225 



I raised my eyes and saw the sky most fully illuminated ; the 

 form of the north-east dome and the walls near it (which had 

 been invisible before and were totally invisible afterwards, from 

 the room, while my lamp was in it) were brought out not only 

 distinctly but conspicuously, I think as well as if a large moon 

 had been behind the dome, but the colour of the light was so 

 different as to make comparison difficult. In an instant there 

 came in the direction from W.S.W. to E.N.E. a brilliant body 

 like a congreve rocket, followed by two others close behind it 

 (I cannot assert that there were not more than two) in the 

 same path. The direction of their path was nearly horizontal, 

 but slightly rising, I think. The height above the top of the 

 dome was nearly equal to the semidiameter of the dome, I 

 think rather less. 



I think that the meteor passed my field at the western win- 

 dow in less than 1^-5 ; and I saw nothing of it at the central 

 window. All was very thickly dark as before. My first im- 

 pression was that it was a rocket; on a moment's considera- 

 tion I saw that it was impossible that a rocket could have 

 such a nearly horizontal course except fired from the leads of 

 my own house. I then looked at my watch, and, allowing 

 as well as I could for the few seconds past, the watch time 

 was 10*^ 42°^ 10**. By a comparison with the ball clock made 

 immediately afterwards, the watch was 423 fast on Greenwich 

 mean solar time. 



On going into the open air, I found that that part of the 

 sky, and the north generally to the height of 30° or 4-0°, was 

 starlight, and that there were stars visible over head, but the 

 south was clouded. 



From careful measurements afterwards, and calculation, its 

 elevation at this part of its path was nearly 14° 53', and its 

 azimuth 19° west of north. 



IX. Euston Square, London. George F. Burder, Esq. 

 favoured me with a letter containing the following parti- 

 culars : — 



" 1 was standing at a window facinjj E.N.E. in the night in 

 Euston Square with the window open, observing an auroral 

 light over the north horizon, when my attention was attracted 

 by a sudden and brilliant illumination of the whole sky and 

 of terrestrial objects. I cast my eyes in the direction from 

 which its light appeared to proceed, and presently there came 

 into view in N.N.W. (having been previously concealed 

 by houses) a meteor of almost dazzling brightness, which, 

 after traversing a certain further distance in the sky, instan- 

 taneously vanished. The point of its disappearance was 

 about north or east of north, but certainly not so far east as 



Phil, Mag. S. 3. Vol. 36. No. 242. March 1 850, Q 



