ACCOUNT OF THE rIETEOR SEEN IN CONNECTICUT. 97 



\fin be retfdered more simple, if the heights are estimated 

 from Si'^j^ane drawn through w parallel to the horiz&hVSup-" 

 posing' the points w, W, to coincide. Then if the points, 

 s, w, are at the same l)eight, the points s, S, will also coin- 

 c^idfeWiti fi^. 3, If the points s, w, are not at the same 

 level, 6s hi fl^. 4, tire lines tw*, MS (continued if ne- 

 cesssary) will meet in S', in the plane MWS, making SS' 

 niSiX Cotang. alt. meteor at s. In either case there will 

 be given, in Problem 1, the angles SWM, WSM, SMW Pro^.l. 

 (=: J so:— SWMt^WSM), and SVV, to tind by plane trigo- 

 nometry WM, SM. Then the altitude of the meteor above 

 the level of the point w will be represented by 

 '< WM X Tang, elevation of the meteor at w. 



In Problem 2, when the points *, w, are at the same level, 'P^^^' ^' 

 as in fig. 3, there will be given the angles Miuwi, Msm, 

 WSM, and the^ side SW, to find thfe^angle. SWM by the 

 following fdrmula. . ' 



Sine SWiVI~Tang. alt. meteor at tb X Cotang. aft. ilfeteor 

 at 5 X Sine WSM, which beiug found, the rest of tiie cal- 

 culation may be made asahove. When the points s, w, are 

 |iot on the same level, us in fig* 4, the lineSS' being found 

 as above, and the angle WSS' equal to WSM or its supple- 

 ment, SW being also given, the side^'W and the angles - 

 WS'S, S'WS, may be found by plane trigonometry. Then 

 as before we shall have 



SitieS'WMip T^ut>..alt. m«t«orat«j,^ ^t*ng. alt- meteor 



at* X ^ine W^'M,whichrgivestbebearingpf themj^teorfr^m 



W, whence the distap«e ViMi and the height of the meteuras in 



l^roblern I. > 



Remark 2. When either of the azimuths oi:, altitudes is When either 



of 'lie stzi*" 

 not accurately known, but the littiits between which ^the real xnuths or alti* 



.value is contained are given; the situation of. the meteor ^"^^*^^^°'' 



«iay be calculated for each of these limits, and .by this krwn.^ ^ 



means the iiraiting valueu of the required ei em eat*- of the^ 



anotionsxrf the body may in general- lj>e obfeain^d, This 



method is freqiiently made use of in this mei^joir. 



Remark 3. In order to iv.diie of ihc accuracy of tlie results }^f^^'^ '\\ 

 . .J r' J judging of the 



obtained by the preceding problems, it will •be^s,tiftil to re- accuracy of th» 

 peat the operation, making successively a sroa'tl ch$nge ia ^^^"l^* 

 each of the given quantities. For if any one of the re- 

 quired quantities benot materially. aflVctcd li)' the«e changes^ 

 Vol. XXVIU.-Feb. 1811. H the 



