on Thursday, the 12M of August 1852. 301 



Second communication from E. Lane, Esq. 



" I beg to say that the meteor appeared to me to have no 

 motion whatever, but seemed hke the sudden opening and gra- 

 dual closing of the heavens." 



From both these accovmts it would seem that the meteor was 

 situated very nearly on the meridian of Christchurch, but it 

 seems to have passed west of the meridian from all other accounts. 

 In both accounts the meteor is refen-ed to as occupying a position 

 very near to Polaris, giving an altitude of nearly 49°, which is 

 certainly much too gi-eat. 



These are all the accounts I have received giving information 

 upon this meteoric appearance, and I now proceed to discuss them, 

 for the piu"pose of determining its distance from the earth, &c. 



1. Determination of the Spot over which the Meteor was vertical 

 at its disappearance. 



From the greater number of the accounts, it seems that the 

 meteor was almost stationary for a veiy considerable time before 

 it disappeared, and it would seem that it was occupying this 

 position when its place was noted by most of the observers. 



The observations available for this determination are those at 

 Dorrington in Ireland; at Pembroke, Swansea, Torrington, Sid- 

 mouth, Yeovil, Bristol and Christchurch. 



° 

 At Don-in gton its azimuth was 72 E. of S. 



At Pembroke ... 22i E. of N. 



At Swansea ... 45 E. of N. 



At Ton-ington ... 35 E. of N. 



At Sidmouth ... 30 E. of N. 



At Yeovil ... little E. of N. 



At Bristol ... E. ofN. 



At Christchurch ... nearly N. 



The intersection of these lines, excepting that at Christclnu-ch, 

 is at a spot very near to Worcester ; and from the close agreement 

 of so many observers differently situated, the meteor at the time 

 of its disappearance must have been nearly in this position. 



Determination of the Distance of the Meteor from the Earth for 

 some time before and at its disappearance. 

 Tlie data we have for this determination are the following: — 



o 



At Belfast, at the distance of 224 miles, its altitude was 15 



At Dorrington ... 247 ... 9 



At Pembroke ... 112 ... 30 



At Swansea ... 79 ... 40 



At Torrington ... 98 ... 31 



At Sidmouth ... 112 ... 30 



At Yeovil ... 86 ... 34 



