232 REPORT—1852. 
No. 9.—Extract of a note from John Carrick Moore, Esq., Corswall, 
Stranraer, N.B. Addressed to Mr. Faraday. 
“On the evening of Tuesday, the 13th of July, 1852, I happened to observe 
a very brilliant meteor. I was walking on the bridge of Carlisle when it oc- 
curred. It resembled a large star, but certainly bigger than Jupiter, which 
was shining bright at the time. It was about N.W. or perhaps N.N.W., and 
seemed to fall vertically, or with a very slight inclination to the E. I guess 
the altitude when it first appeared to have been about 20° above the horizon. 
[I am aware that persons not in the habit of using instruments generally ex- 
aggerate altitudes; but still I do not think it could have been less.] The co- 
lour was a bright orange-red ; as it fell, the brilliancy increased ; it became 
nearly white, and then again a very bright red, and disappeared without di- 
viding. The night was still, there were no clouds, and not the slightest sound 
was perceptible. I do not think it could have been two seconds visible. It 
had scarcely disappeared, when the clock of Carlisle, set to railway, that is 
London time, struck 10. 
“J would mention a circumstance, which I thought I noticed, but in which, 
as the time was so short, I may be deceived. The meteor appeared after the 
brilliancy increased, suddenly to become dim, and then again to shine out in 
its greatest brightness, which was at the moment of its disappearance. It 
seemed so near, that I tried to mark the spot where it fell. Mr. Hyslop, the 
clergyman of Kirkcolm, tells me he also saw it on the shore of Loch Ryan, 
about 90 miles as the crow flies to the west; he expected it also to fall near 
him. Mr. H. tells me it seemed to him to fall with a considerable slope to the 
east. He did not observe the dimness after the first increase of brilliancy, 
which I have mentioned, and of which I feel rather confident ; the more so, 
that I did not expect it, and never heard of such being observed before.” 
No. 10.—Extract of a letter to Prof. Powell from W. R. Birt, Esq. 
“11a Wellington Street, Victoria Park, London, Aug. 11, 1852. 
“My dear Sir,—I have the honour to transmit to you the enclosed obser- 
vations of luminous meteors witnessed by myself and a friend, Mr. J. Hard- 
ing, last evening in the Victoria Park. The two classes of shooting stars are 
very apparent, viz. those stars that nerease in brilliancy during their progress, 
and those that decrease as they proceed. The first star seen by myself, at 
94 9™ p.m., is an instance of the first class, and that seen by Mr. Harding, at 
95 28™ p.m., is a fine instance of the second. The description by Mr. Harding 
appears to be very accurate: I regret I did not catch it, but the figure given 
well describes the appearance presented by the meteor seen on the evening 
of July 29th, an account of which I forwarded you. The paths of the whole 
of the stars now sent, if prolonged, meet in the constellation Camelopardalis, 
and may be regarded as confirmatory of the point of divergence being in this 
constellation at this period of the year....... The same feature which I noticed 
three years since was well brought out last evening, viz. the retrograde move- 
ment of the meteors towards the southern and eastern part of the heavens, 
and the direct movement of those in the northern and western,—confirmatory 
of the idea that the real movements of the meteors are of a planetary nature 
and opposed to the motion of the earth in its orbit, unless they should be com- 
paratively at rest as the earth passes through the group. 
‘“‘T have the honour to be, my dear Sir, 
“ Yours very respectfully, 
“ Rev. Professor Powell.” “W. R. Birt.” 

