52 REPORT—1849. a, 
the point of which could not have been far removed from the line joining 
and 6 Pegasi, and produced: y Pegasi was about midway of its apparent 
path. The path suggested the idea of that of a projectile, the meteor sensi- 
bly bending to the earth just before the disappearance : there was no train, and 
the meteor was exceedingly unlike any of the preceding. 
b No. 5. Within a very short interval, I should say less than a minute, 
another meteor, of precisely the same size and exhibiting precisely the same 
characters in every respect, not one excepted, appeared just beyond the point 
of disappearance of b No. 4. Its path appeared to be a prolongation of that 
of & No. 4, and it disappeared in exactly the same manner, slightly bending 
to the earth, or rather horizon, not far from 6 Aquarii. 
Assuming for the moment, which is not altogether improbable, that the 
two were only one meteor, which by some means had been extinguished for 
a short time during its progress, its visible path in the heavens at London 
would at least be from 15° north Dee. 0° Rt. Asc. to 6° south Dee. 320° Rt. 
Asc. retrograde, and it crossed the equinoctial about 332° Rt. Ase. 
b Nos. 1 to 5 occurred by estimation between 10" p.m. and 10° 15™ p.m, 
certainly not later than 10° 20™ p.m. The appearance of b Nos. 4 and 5 
most probably occurred at 10" 15™ p.m. 
Remarks on the above Meteors. 
Of the above meteors five claim particular attention, viz. a Nos. 1 and 6 
and b Nos. 1 (?), 4 and 5, a Nos.1 and 6 occurring previous to 10" p.m., 
and b Nos. 1 (?), 4 and 5 after 10° p.m. Each of these meteors are very 
readily identifiable. After a No. 1 had appeared, a considerable time elapsed 
before a No. 2 was seen in the neighbourhood of Polaris, and the directions 
of these meteors were very different and nearly opposite. Nearly half an 
hour elapsed before a No. 6 became visible, its direction and that of a No. 1, 
as before remarked, indicating a point of divergence just north of Cassiopeia. 
With the exception of the meteors in the neighbourhood of Polaris and that 
between a and 3 Pegasi, those seen in the eastern hemisphere, viz. a Nos. I, 
4 and 6, and & Nos. 4 and 5, were directed more or less towards the meridian, — 
6 No. 1 (?) was the only meteor seen westward of the meridian; and it is 
worthy of remark, that while the direction of its motion was towards the 
meridian, it was in the opposite direction to those in the eastern hemisphere, 
and this appears to indicate a point of convergence in the south, as well as a 
point of divergence in the north. These phenomena may greatly assist in 
determining the position in space of these bodies. It is clear that at the 
time of observation, the earth was moving towards a given point in the © 
heavens. The general direction of the meteors in the eastern hemisphere 
was retrograde, while that in Bootes was direct. Assuming for a moment — 
that between 9" 30™ and 10" 30™ the earth passed very near a small cluster 
of meteoric bodies, which was moving in a contrary direction, the majority } 
; 
being sowth of the earth’s path, and one only zorth, the phenomena would — 
be just as witnessed. All the sowhern meteors would have a retrograde 
motion, while that of the xorthern would still coincide in the general direc- — 
tion of motion; but instead of its being retrograde it would be direct, just as — 
a traveller on a railway sees the objects apparently rushing past him on each — 
side, their apparent motions being identically the same; yet when these 
motions are referred to the circle of which he is the centre, it is evident those 
on his left-hand must have an opposite expression to those on his right. > 
Upon a comparison of the paths of a Nos. 1 and 6 and } No. 1, which — 
appear, with the exception probably of the globular meteors b Nos. 4 and 5, — 
to have been nearest the earth, we may be better able to judge of their 

