j^cionjit of the yictcor 



-iieiiig lia'slc to a mii-takc of more than about ten degrcef-jr 

 and in n cl(^se situation, as in a street, or among house;, it 

 -will olt^itiBies happeu tliat some object will intercept part 

 -oi' its course from the observer's sight, and then he may 

 ascertain its altitude to a much greater degree of accuracy^ 

 3 should think, in such a case, he vvi'l seldom be liable to 

 ,sn error of more than five degrees, and in general will be 

 able to come nearer j but ■even where the surroundmg ob- 

 jjects are not so favourablv situated, they will, if iheri hap- 

 ,pen to lie in the direction in which the meteor is seen, be 

 always found of great service in assisting the necessary es^ 

 timatcs af'.erwardi. 



Those, therefore, who haAe had an opportunity of ob.- 

 «e.rvLng a meteor, should, as soon as possible, repair to the 

 ^iace where they stood when they saw it, and by means of 

 •a common or Gunter's quadrant, or any other instuumeat 

 that will measure altitudes, endeavour to obtain its height 

 as €0Rectly as they can ; and at the same time, with a 

 needle and coiiipass, take its bearing at that part of its 

 course vvhcre its altitude v/as Measured. If, however, the 

 observer should not happen to be fu-mished with any instru- 

 «ients for .measuring altitudes or bearings, yet if he has 

 i)een so fortunate as to have compared it with anv fixt ob- 

 ject, or has seen its course intercepted by the top of a house, a. 

 church, or any other body, and .can rccollect.the place where 

 he stoo-d at the -time, its situation may be pretty correctly 

 ascertaiiied ; for if he measures the distance from the place 

 where he stood to the object, and then measures the height 

 of the object behind which it disappeared, its altitude may 

 be easily inferred ; and by comparing the direction of such 

 oHjeot with thenarth a^id SQUth, or east and vvest, points, 

 its bearing at tliat.time wU.} be had sufficiently near to be of 

 .considerable service, as it is not necessary to be so correct 

 in this respi-ctas in obtaining its altitude, though the nearer 

 .we can come at both the better. 



If the cbsiirvcj" should happen to be in a field, or an.y 

 ^pen place, where there are no neighbouring objects to assist 

 him in ills estimation, he will, however, be able to obtaiji 

 its altitude and hearing, in the following manner: Lcthiui 

 go to the place wher.e he stood when he saw the meteor, 

 and there having iiNxd up a rod or stick perpendlcuku- ox\ 

 the ground, of a sufficient length, according to the height 

 at which the meteor appcarcdj lot him recede from the 

 stick until, by looking over the top of it, he see the top in 

 a line with the place in which he be Tore observed the mc- 

 ■Jtor to appear : if he then measures his dibtanee from tljc 



5tiek- 



