ACCOUNT OF THE METEOR SEEN IN CONNECTICUT. Q\ 



to the semidiameter of the Earth, 398'2 miles*) to find wm 

 the distance of the meteor from the observer at Wy and Cm 

 its distance from the centre of the Earth, from which sub- 

 ti-actln* CM equal to 5982 miles, there will remain the ver-' 

 tlcal altitude of the meteor above the level of the sea. In 

 the plane triangle ^Cwt are given C^, Cw, and thfe in- 

 cluded angle aC;;?, (— arch SIM) to tind sm the distance 6f 

 the meteor from the observer at .v, and the angle Csm equal 

 to the supplement of the zenith distance of the meteor at $• 

 The colatitude of the meteor is equal to the arch PM, and 

 the angle SPM is equal to the difference of meridians be* 

 tween the meteor and the observer at s. These quantities 

 may be easily found, by means of the spheric triangle PSM, 

 in which PS, SM and the angle PSM ar^given. They may 

 also be found in a more simple manner, and to a sufficient 

 degree of accuracy, by the usual rules of navigation, sup- 

 posing the angle PSM to be the course and SM the dis- 

 tance, whence may be found the difference of latitude, de- 

 parture, and difference of longitude between the points 

 S, M. 



Example. 



Suppose the azimuth of the meteor atWenham PWMir The fentpTtM 

 1 17^ 35' 54", azimuth at Weston PSM— S'^^, altitude at Wen- blemexrxnplf 

 ham 5°50'40", colatitude of Wenham PW— 47''l9'45 ", " ' 

 colatitude of Weston PS 48** 45', difference of meridians 

 WPS— 2" 36' 45'. It is required to find the latitude and 

 longitude of the meteor, its distance from Wenham and 

 Weston, find its vertical height above the level of the sea. 



Thisco/respondsto Example loin Table 1. 



• The mnemaie use of ?h tlirj? memoir 15 the statute mile of 55i9D feet. 

 In the following calcalattons on the Weston meteor, it Will be suppk>sed 

 ihat Cw=C#=:59B2 mife*? the pari Ww or Sf being but a smill ftactSiJa 

 of a mila^ 



lo 



