A CATALOGUE OF OBSERVATIONS OF LUMINOUS METEORS. 179 
very soon lost its splendour and gradually diminished till it became totally 
invisible. Its course was perpendicular, in the N.E., and about 30° in length. 
The full moon was shining at the same time with very great brightness. Its 
course was straight and performed with a medium rapidity. 
1823. Sept. 7.—About 95 15™ p.M., a meteor was seen in the S.S.E., whose 
course may be thus delineated : 
In its descent it made an angle of about 10° with 
fi the horizon: at first it appeared as bright as 
*y Aquarius *8 es Athair, and it did not diminish until it had run 
+g about half its course, when it gradually became 
OE caemarmme fainter and fainter. Its progress was not more 
rapid at first than that of a cloud driving with a 
*Scheat *,  highwind,but it became quicker whilsttheangle 
*3 of inclination to the horizon increased. It re- 
mained visible about 3 sees. (S. Herefordshire. ) 
1824. Aug. 29.—About 10° p.m., my mother saw a meteor in the S.W., 
which from her description must have had when first seen 20° or 30° of alti- 
tude: it descended in a sloping westerly direction, till near the horizon, when 
it disappeared without diminution, either by extinction, or by passing behind 
trees. It was larger than Venus in her brightest state, but so blue as to be 
compared to a ball of quicksilver, and to appear quite unlike any planet or 
star. Its velocity was considerable, and it seemed as though projected with 
force. (South Herefordshire.) 
» 1824. Aug. 31.—About 9° 30™ p.m., the Swan being S. of the zenith, 
a falling star appeared in it, whose course was short and rapid, in a S.Z. di- 
rection. It was of the second magnitude at one time, but very tremulous and 
variable. About three minutes after, another appeared just below it, in the 
N. part of Aquila, of the fourth magnitude, sailing in a W. direction, with 
a slow and equable movement, over a considerable space. (South Here- 
fordshire.) ‘The Diary adds, “this night there seemed to be many little 
startings and flashings in the heavens;” but on this I would not rely, as I am 
very near-sighted, and I think at that time did not wear a concave glass. 
1825. April 13.—A servant at Gloucester saw a meteor at night in the S., 
which passed in a W. direction: it was quite red, larger than a falling star, 
and not like one. The night was quite cloudy, but the veil was unequal, and 
in some places occasionally thin. 
1825. June 5—About 8 45™ r.m., a light seemed to catch my eye for a 
moment in the N. at about 30° of elevation. If not a deception, which is 
’ very probable, it must have been twice as large as Venus. 
1825. Aug. 10.—About 10" 30™ p.m., a meteor equal to a star of the 3rd 
magnitude in brightness passed across the upper part of Pegasus in a straight 
line, tending somewhat downwards. Immediately on its disappearance an- 
other appeared just E. of the hand of Perseus, exactly in the course of the 
first, produced in the opposite direction : it seemed to come with a very short 
horizontal course from the N., then becoming stationary, blazed out as bright 
as Algenib for an instant, then diminished to the 4th magnitude, and quickly 
after vanished. Soon after another of the 3rd magnitude fell in the S.W., in 
a perpendicular line from Serpentarius downwards, with a swift course. After 
11" p.m. another meteor shot horizontally, rather descending, for the length 
of 2° or 3° by Scheat in Pegasus: it dissolved into a splendid broadish train 
of faint bluish light visible for some seconds. At the beginning of its course 
its apparent magnitude was about the 2nd. Just after this a very distant red 
reflexion of lightning was seeninthe S. All these meteors came more or 
less from the N.E. 
NZ 
