324 METEOKOLOGY. 



A. 



OBSEEVATIONS OF SHOOTING STARS. 



WELD, FRANKLIN COUNTY, MAINE. 



1847 — December 11. — At 8A. 30m. p. m. I saw a very brilliant 

 shooting star, which i'ell in the northwest. I should judge that when ■ 

 it was in sight I could have read the smallest print without difficulty 

 in its light. It left a bright streak or tail of phosphorescent matter, i 

 60*^ or 70° in length, which remained motionless for about 30 seconds, •■ 

 when it gradually vanished. The nucleus of light was apparently of i 

 three-fourths the diameter of the lunar orb, and it was about 2 seconds 1 

 in passing over 70° of the celestial sphere, disappearing very near the 

 horizon. 



1849 — Septemher 15. — Saw three large shooting stars. 



jSeptemher 19. — Observed three shooting stars. 



September 20. — At 8A. p. m. I observed a brilliant shooting star, i 

 enveloped in a nebulous mist, and having a cylindrical cometic tail, 1 

 4° in length. It shot out brilliant jets or tufts of rays from its nucleus \ 

 on its foremost side, which were bent back into the tail, presenting, : 

 in miniature, the phenomena of Halley's comet, so conspicuous to 

 astronomers, during its last return in 1835. It passed between a An- 

 dromecloi and /3 Fegasi, towards Fomalhaut, describing 60° of the 

 heavens in about 2 seconds' time. I also observed two other shooting 

 stars on the same evening. 



October 3, evening. — Saw two shooting stars. 



JSIovemher 14. — In the evening I saw four shooting stars. 



1850 — August 4. — At 8A. 30m. p. ra. I observed a large meteoric 

 star. Its path was marked by a trail of light nearly 15' in Avidth, 

 which disappeared in about 4 seconds' time. Its path lay from a 

 Cygni to near £ Sagittarii. 



August 5. — At 2h. p. m. saw two shooting stars. The first appeared 

 to be as bright and to subtend nearly the same angle as the planet 

 Jupiter. It passed from Unuk al Ray in the Serpent to Arcturus in 

 about three-lourths of a second. The other appeared like a mere line 

 of light described by a brilliant point, and vanished in an instant. 



August 7. — At 9A. 30w. p. m. saw a meteoric star, apparently to 

 pass from near o Draconis by j3 of that constellation to the foot of 

 Btrcides. It appeared to be a streak or trail of light about 8° in 

 length, and, if my measurement of time can be trusted, it described 

 an arc of 30° in less than a half second. 



August 9. — In the evening saw four shooting stars. 



August 10. — Between 87i. 30m. and 9/i. 20m. p. m. I saw thirty-four 

 shooting s+ars, some of which were very brilliant. All excepting four 

 small ones appeared to pass down the Via Lacte, or near to and 

 parallel with it, from the northeast to the southwest, some as follows : 

 h/i. 30m., one passed from near e Cygni, between a and ^Q Aquilce, to 

 the 31illc Dipper in Sagittarius ; Sh. 35. m, two passed from Dculeus 

 to the head of Capricornus ; Sh. 40m., one passed from yj OphiucJii to 



