

372 On the Origin of Shooting Stars. 



two hours later ; therefore the point D must have gone so much far- 

 ther in order to come under the meteoric body ; or, what amounts 

 to the same thing, that body must have travelled about 30 degrees 

 eastward, during the 6h. Aim. 28s. the difference, in absolute time, 

 between the first appearances of the phenomenon at the two places. 

 We do not suppose that the body actually made such an advance 

 eastward ; but such would be the consequence of Mr. Clarke's ar- 



* 



gument. 



The fact is, however, that the commencement of such a phenom- 

 enon, cannot be employed to determine the position of the body at 

 the beginning and end of so long an interval. Were the body to 

 sustain no change of place relatively to the earth, (which would im- 

 ply that its angular motion in its orbit was in the same direction and 

 precisely at the same rate with the earth's,) yet the actual loss of 

 some of the extreme portions might cause the time of night to be 

 later to places lying westward of a given meridian. 



From comparing a great number of observations made at places 

 differing many degrees of longitude, in the meteoric shower of No- 

 vember 13th, 1833, it was found, that the time of arriving at the 

 maximum, was nearly the same in them all, — indicating that the 

 body was, apparently, nearly stationary in respect to the earth, and 

 consequently moving along with it in its annual revolution. From 

 calculations made to determine the real velocities of the two bodies, 

 it was inferred, that the motion of the earth in its orbit, was to the 

 motion of the body at the time of the occurrence, as 18.92 to 12. 

 15. # Still, on account of the great distance of even the nearest 

 portions of the body, (a distance which is now believed to be much 

 greater than was at first estimated,) it would have had only a small 

 parallactic motion, although portions descending from it to the earth, 

 would have a great relative motion westward. 



I avail myself of this opportunity to add a few observations on the 

 present state of the controversy, respecting the origin of shooting 

 stars. 



In the French journals which have lately reached us, are contain- 

 ed a series of Instructions, drawn up by M. Arago, of the Obser- 

 vatory of Paris, well known as one of the ablest astronomers of his 

 age, for the use of the officers of the Bonite, a French ship which 

 was about to sail on a voyage of circumnavigation. In this article, 



* American Journal, XXVI. 167. 



