Mr Galloway on Shooting-Stars and Meteors. 387 



present an almost perfect similarity of constitution, widely 

 different from that of any substance found on the earth, at 

 length forced conviction even on the most sceptical. From 

 the close resemblance between fire-balls and shooting- stars, 

 and, indeed, the impossibility in many cases of distinguishing 

 the one class of meteors from the other, Chladni was led also 

 to ascribe a cosmical origin to the latter phenomena. At this 

 period, however, there were no observations from which pre- 

 cise or certain conclusions could be formed respecting the al- 

 titudes, velocities, or paths, described by the shooting-stars — 

 the elements by which the question of their existence within 

 or beyond the atmosphere could be solved. 



Observations by Brandesand Benzenberg. — In the year 1798, 

 the first series of observations for determining these points, 

 was undertaken in Germany by Brandes and Benzenberg. 

 Having selected a base-line of about nine English miles in 

 length, and stationed themselves at its extremities, they began 

 to observe on nights previously agreed on ; and when a me- 

 teor was seen, they immediately traced its apparent path on 

 a celestial map, noting carefully the exact times of its appear- 

 ance and extinction, with any other circumstances likely to 

 assist in identifying it. The meteors observed simulta- 

 neously at both stations were in this manner recognised with 

 considerable certainty ; and the comparison of their paths 

 on the two maps afforded data for the determination of their 

 parallaxes and altitudes. The results were as follows : — Be- 

 tween the 11th of September and the 4th of November 1798, 

 only twenty-two corresponding observations were obtained, 

 from which the altitudes could be computed. The altitude 

 of the lowest was about 6 English miles ; there were seven 

 under 45 miles ; nine between 45 and 90 miles ; six above 

 90 miles ; and one had an altitude of about 140 miles. There 

 ■were only two observations from which the velocity could be 

 deduced ; the first gave 25 miles, and the second from 17 to 

 21 miles in a second. The most remarkable result was, that 

 at least one of the meteors moved upwards, or away from 

 the earth. By these observations, the perfect similarity be- 

 tween fire-balls and shooting-stars, in respect of velocity 

 and altitude, was completely established. Another attempt, 



