270 Mr. J. Glaisher on the Meteor ofFebmaty 11, 1850. 



second, but as the meteor was moving in the order of planet- 

 ary motion nearly, this motion has to be increased by that of 

 the orbital motion of the earth, which makes the real velocity 

 of the meteor to have been greater than 30 miles in one se- 

 cond, which seems almost incredible. 



15. On the Absolute Times of its Appearance. 



We are totally dependent for our knowledge of this upon 

 the observations of the Astronomer Royal. He saw the 

 meteor after explosion at 10^ 4fl^ 28^ Greenwich mean solar 

 time ; and allowing 12® or 13^ for the interval of time from its 

 commencement to the time of observation of the Astronomer 

 Royal, we have 10^ 4-1™ 16® + Greenwich mean time for its 

 commencement, and 10^ 41"* 27® + for the time of its ex- 

 plosion. 



16. On the Tail or Train of Light. 



This was variously described by the different observers. 

 At Southampton it was mentioned as a luminous appear- 

 ance ; at Yeovil, as a tail ; at Langport, a pale blue train ; 

 at Euston Square, a compact sheet of flame ; at Hampstead 

 Road, a waving blade of red flame ; at Hampstead, a long 

 tail ; at Rugby, an elongated luminous ball ; at Carrington, 

 head and tail 2^° in length ; at Deddington, a brilliant tail 

 of light; at Bristol, a tail 15° in length; at Reading, the 

 breadth of Venus extended into a line; at Prestwood, a lu- 

 minous tail of extraordinary length and brilliancy. In a 

 recent letter I have received from the Rev. J. Jordan, he 

 says that Mr. Kimber was most favourably situated, there 

 not being a single obstacle of any kind ; and he says there 

 was certainly no tail, but merely the trail of light depicting 

 its path. 



It seems, however, certain, both from the general ac- 

 counts, and from sketches which have been furnished to me of 

 its appearance, that there was a stream of light of great bril- 

 liancy, of many miles in length. 



17. On the Curve described by the Meteor, and concluding 

 Remarks. 



During the first part of the progress of this meteor it very 

 rapidly descended obliquely towards the earth, in such man- 

 ner, that at first it was between 80 and 90 miles from the 

 earth, and less than 50 miles distant within 4 seconds or 

 5 seconds afterwards, the two places over which it was ver- 

 tical at these times being separated by about 17 miles ; it then 

 decreased less rapidly till — 



