ii^ Mr. J. Glaisher's additional Observations 07i 



XXXV. Padbury, Buckinghamshire, as copied from the 

 Times of February 14. 



" At a quarter before 1 1 o'clock last night I first observed 

 the meteor coming from the north-west; it did not appear at 

 this time much larger than falling stars usually are ; but it 

 continued its course, every moment increasing in brightness, 

 exhibiting a tail of a blue colour and which was remarkably 

 vivid, until it had reached the east, when it exploded into 

 thousands of brilliant coruscations and disappeared. After 

 an interval of about 90 seconds it was followed by a loud clap 

 of thunder, of a very peculiar crackling nature, of long dura- 

 tion, which passed off' into the north-east." 



XXXVI. Deddington. Miss Ellen B. Faulkner favoured 

 me with the following communication : — 



" As I v/as fortunate enough to be an observer of the splen- 

 did meteor seen on Monday night, Feb. 11th, at a quarter be- 

 fore 1 1 o'clock, and believing that some account of it would 

 prove interesting to those who did not witness the phaenoraenon 

 at this place, I send you the following account ; but as the 

 garden in which I was standing at the time I saw it was a 

 small one, and surrounded by high walls, I was unable to see 

 its close, although I distinctly saw the commencement of it, as 

 my face was directed to that part of the heavens in which it 

 first appeared, which was W.S.W., and it fell E.N.E. The 

 appearance it first assumed was that of a luminous body much 

 larger than the planet Jupiter, and it rapidly increased in size 

 and brightness as it approached nearer to the earth, leaving be- 

 hind it as it passed through the heavens a brilliant trail of light. 

 The form of it when descending was conical, the narrow end 

 throwing out several streaks of extreme brilliancy; as it ap- 

 proached the north it made a wavy motion similar to that of 

 a snake. 



" When I first observed it the colour was yellow, but just 

 before it began to descend it became blue, and emitted a light 

 so great that the smallest object was discernible. As it dis- 

 appeared from my sight, the broader end was I believe larger 

 than the moon's disc. The whole time the meteor lasted was 

 about 4-0 seconds, and four or five minutes after, while stand- 

 ing in the same position, I heard a report something like that 

 of a cannon when at a great distance. I believe the sound 

 came from the northern part of the heavens. Persons who 

 heard the report at Banbury, a town six miles from Ded- 

 dington, describe it to have been as loud as thunder when at 

 no great distance. At the time the meteor appeared the stars 

 shone very brilliantly, and the evening was particularly clear, 

 but the whole of the day had been wet and stormy." 



