fiery Meteor feen in Gafcony. 931 
“and_as no fuch mafs has ever been feen to afcend; they ap- 
’ “pear not to be terreftrial, but cofmical bodies. Should this 
not be admitted, it is much to be wifhed that fome other 
perfon might give an explanation confiftent with the ob- 
ferved facts; and that more attention than has hitherto been 
beftowed, were paid to the obfervation of fire-balls and 
fhooting ftars; as for example, that obferved on the 8th of 
March 1796 in Lufatia, and in fome parts of Saxony and 
Brandenburg. 
Shooting ftars are perhaps meteors of the fame nature as 
thofe ielefeopie fparks of light obferved by Mr. Schroter, 
and may be different from fire-balls only in this, that they 
moye at a much greater diftance from our earth, and that 
they do not fall, but only occafion a tranfient luminous ap- 
pearance in their paffage through the upper regions of the 
atmofphere. 
I fhall here mention an idea which dees not proceed from 
mytfelf, but from a very intelligent aftronomer, that fhoot- 
ing ftars might be employed to determine the difference of 
two meridians. Two or more aftronomers, refiding at fome 
diftance from each other, might agree to make obfervations 
on fhooting ftars, which appear almoft at all times, when the + 
weather is clear, in fome part of the heavens, not with in- 
firuments, but merely with the naked eye; and to remark, 
not only the time of their appearance, but alfo their appa- 
reut courfe; and from the difference of the times of feeing 
thefe fhooting ftars, the difference of the meridians of the 
places might be determined; and from the difference of thejr 
apparent courfes, their real height and real courfe might be 
difcovered, 
Q 4 WJ. Ac 
