156 Account of a luminous Meteor. [Dec. 



Article IX. 



Account of a luminous Meteor seen at Sunderland. By Mr. 



Renney. 



(To Dr. Thomson.) 



SIR, Bishopuearmouth, Nov. 12, 1813. 



Permit me, through the medium of your Journal, to lay 

 before your readers the following particulars of what I consider 

 a very uncommon phenomenon ; in the hope that you, or some 

 other scientific Gentleman, will have the goodness to afford an 

 explanation through the same channel. 



On Wednesday evening, the 10th of this month, about 40 

 minutes after six, the moon having just risen, but was not 

 visible, owing to a very dense cloud (whose altitude was 7°), the 

 most opaque J ever recollect to have seen. From behind this 

 cloud there appeared a stream of light, which extended across 

 the hemispheie, and so dense thaty in Pegasus, and a in Aquila, 

 were obscured by it ; the edges of which at intervals diverged 

 into lines, diminishing its breadth : but, that I may afford a 

 more perfect idea, I shall give its extent by the stars that ap- 

 peared in or near the northern and southern edges : — 



On the Northern Edge. 



Taurus. Aries. Pegasus. Dolphin. Aquila. 



ah v a c y 



On the Southern Edge. 



Taurus. Cetus. Pisces. Pegasus. Aquila. 



,u. o X £ (3 |3 



It was obscured by a dark cloud in Taurus Poniatowski, and 

 extended visible through Scrpentarius to the horizon. 



I immediately waited upon Thomas Jones, Esq. a Gentleman 

 of considerable scientific acquirements, who possesses a very 

 excellent astronomical and philosophical apparatus (to whom I 

 am under many obligations for their use) ; and although he was 

 at home, and disengaged, I found that before he could come to 

 the door this immense volume of light had lost much of its 

 lustre, and was so reduced in substance that y in Pegasus now 

 became visible near the centre. Mr. Jones observed, that he 

 " had seen many uncommon phenomena of nature, but none 

 like the present." Its duration, 1 believe, did not exceed six 

 minutes ; for, at the time I first saw it, I think it was then in its 



