274 Dr. Clarke's Account of a Meteor. [April, 



Probably some other account of this phenomenon will reach 

 you ; * in the mean time I send you my brief statement of the 

 fact ; having been an eye-witness of it. This is the third great 

 meteor which I have seen, in this country ; the two former hap- 

 pened many years ago, during the night, and were seen all over 

 Europe ; that of the year 1783 was one of them ; it differed in 

 the direction of its course, which was nearly horizontal ; although 

 inclined at a small angle towards the earth. The form of the 

 present meteor as seen from Cambridge was somewhat like tha 

 of a Florence flask ; it left a train upwards, which was broken 

 into knots of light ; and the light beaming from the body of 

 the meteor was so intense that although opposed to the 

 sun's orb it shone almost equal in effulgence to that luminary ; 

 and I have no doubt but. that if it had happened during the 

 night it would have equalled in its effect either of the meteors 

 before mentioned. That a fall of matter has taken place some- 

 where towards the north there can be little doubt ; although it be 

 uncertain of what nature it may be, or where it fell, whether in 

 the sea, or upon the land.f Your readers, in their own opinions 

 respecting the cause of this meteor, will perhaps differ from mine ; 

 but the theory of the phenomenon seems to me to be very 

 simple ; namely, that its appearance is entirely due to the heat 

 and light evolved during the transition of a body from the aeri- 

 form to the solid state ; a theory at present most happily illustrated 

 by a recent experiment of the ignition of platinum wire, coiled 

 around the wick of a spirit-lamp, which exhibits heat and light 

 for hours after the extinction of the flame of the lamp so long as 

 any of the alcohol remain ; an experiment of course well known 

 to you because it has attracted such general notice in the 

 metropolis. I am ignorant of its author; but the nature of 

 it is, I understand, thus explained ; that " the hydrogen of the 

 alcohol combining with the oxygen of the atmosphere, forms 

 water ; consequently heat is evolved." 



I remain, Gentlemen, very faithfully yours, 



Cambridge, Feb. 6, 1818. E. D. CLARKE. 



' * It was seen at Stcaffham, exactly at the same hour, where it was visible 

 several seconds. Au account of it appears in the " Norwich Mercury" published 

 Saturday, Feb. 14, in which it is described as " a well defined orb of white light, 

 giving off flame backwards." 



+ Accounts from Lincolnshire have appeared in the public papers, that the inha- 

 bitants, at the time of this meteor, were alarmed as by the shock of an earthquake ; 

 and a hissing noise was heard; the usual iound accompanying the fall of meteoric 

 atones. 



