172 



TENTH ANNUAL REPORT OP 



Actual diam. as 

 seen at 10 in. 



Apparent diam. at 200 

 yards. 



Apparent diam. at i 

 mile. 



Apparent diam. at | mile. 



Capbon points .3 of all inch. 



Lime light .4 " " 



Incandescent steel .2 " " 



diam. moon's disk. 



3 diam. moon's disk. 



2 " " 



1 " " 



31 diam. moon's disk. 

 2 " " 



1 " " 



If, then, the apparent diameter of a luminous meteor at a given 

 distance is to be accepted as a o-iiide for calculating the real size of 

 these bodies, the 



Charcoal points would be 80 feet diam. instead of yV of an inch. ' 

 Lime " " 50 " " -/_ 



The steel globule "25 " " tV " 



It is not in place to enter into any explanation of these deceptive 

 appearances, for they are well-known facts, and were tried in the 

 present form only to give precision to the criticism on the supposed 

 size of these bodies. Comments on them are also unnecessary, as 

 they speak for themselves. But to return to the two meteorites under 

 review. 



That of Wilton was estimated by Mr. Edward C. Herrick (Ameri- 

 can Journal of Science, vol. xxxvii, p. 130) to be about 150 feet in 

 diameter. It appeared to increase gradually in size until just before 

 the exjjiosion, when it was at its largest apparent magnitude of one- 

 fourth the moon's disk — exploded 25° to 30° above the horizon with 

 a heavy report, that was heard about thirty seconds after the explo- 

 sion was seen. One or more of the observers saw luminous fragments 

 descend towards the ground. When it exploded, it was three or four 

 miles above the surface of the earth ; immediately after the explo- 

 sion, it was no longer visible. The large size of the body is made 

 out of the fact of its appearing one-fourth the apparent disk of the 

 moon at about six miles distant. After the experiments just recorded, 

 and easy of repetition, the uncertainty of such a conclusion must be 

 evident; and it is insisted on as a fact easy of demonstration, that a 

 body in a state of incandescence (as the ferruginous portions of a stony 

 •meteorite) might exhibit the apparent diameter of the Wilton me- 

 teorite at six miles distance, and not be more than a few inches or a 

 foot or two in diameter, according to the intensity of the incandes- 

 cence. 



Besides, if that body was so large, where did it go to after throw- 

 ing off the supposed small fragments ? The fragments were seen to 

 fall ; but the great ignited mass suddenly disappeared at 30° above 

 the horizon, four miles from the earth, when it could not have had 

 less than six or seven hundred miles of atmosphere to traverse before it 

 reached the limit of that medium. It had already acquired a state 

 of ignition in its passage through the air prior to the explosion, and 

 should have retained its luminous appearance consequent thereupon, 

 at least while remaining in the atmosphere ; but as this was not the 

 case, and a sudden disappearance of the entire body took place in the 

 very lowest portions of the atmosphere, and descending luminous frag- 

 ments were seen, the natural conclusion appears to be, that tlic Avhole 



meteorite was contained in the fragments thai 



fell. 



