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On Shooting Stars. By Sir J. W. LUBBOCK, Bart. 



As the phenomena of shooting stars {stella cadens) are interesting, 

 from their connection with tlie structure of our planetary system, 

 we have much pleasure in communicating the following observations 

 on these remarkable bodies, from the last Number of the Philoso- 

 phical Magazine, by Sir J. W. Lubbock, Bart. I wish, says Sir J. 

 W. Lubbock to the conductor of the Philosophical Magazine, to cor- 

 rect an oversight in page 85 of the last Number of the Philosophical 

 Magazine, where it is implied that the same shooting star may be ob- 

 served to disappear at diiYerent instants of time by different observers. 

 It is obvious that if the moving body cease to shine, by reason of its en- 

 tering the shadow of the cartli, this event is entirely irrespective of the 

 position of the observer ; and, therefore, if it should be observed by 

 more than one person, such observations will furnish the parallax, 

 and may determine whether this mode of accounting for the disap- 

 pearance of the star is correct or not. If it has been attempted to 

 determine the differences of terrestrial longitude by such observations, 

 probably the materials exist somewhere by which the accuracy of 

 the hypothesis can at once be tested. It may possibly however, be 

 again observed on the same night, either by the same or different 

 observers, after an entire revolution. 



It has been the subject of speculation, whether such bodies owe 

 their origin to violent action at the moon's surface. But observers 

 are, I believe, agreed that the surface of the moon offers no evidence of 

 great agitation. The indentations of the surface remain unchanged, 

 and no phenomena have, I believe, been seen which indicate the ex- 

 istence of volcanoes, which might discharge small bodies with great 

 force, and thus give i"ise to the satellites of the earth. 



The case is widely different as regards the sun. Changes of enor- 

 mous magnitude are continually witnessed on its surface, which indi- 

 cate the action of forces agitating tlie mass probably in a state of 

 fluidity. Recently I have observed spots which were even visible to 

 the naked eye, and of which, on the following and succeeding days, 

 not a trace could be found by a good telescope. 



If a body were thi-own up from the sun's surface, it must, omit- 

 ting all consideration of the planets, describe an ellipse having the 

 centre of the sun in jne of the foci ; and, thus, however great the 

 force by which the body may be supposed to have been discharged, 

 it must return to the sun, and impinging upon it, would not perform 

 even one entire revolution. If, however, we consider the action of 

 the other planets, and especially of Jupiter, it seems by no means 

 impossible that in returning, a body so discharged might clear the 

 sun, and perform many complete revolutions round the primary, that 

 is, might become a comet {or shooting star.) It would be interest- 



