144 On the Meteors of 13th November, 1833. 



a fact which is indicated, indeed, by the observation itself ; for, in 

 twenty minutes, the radiant moved easterly two degrees in right as- 

 cension, while the earth in the same time must have moved five de- 

 grees. This easterly motion, moreover, must have considerably in- 

 creased the duration of the phenomenon. Now had the cloud been 

 near the earth, or within its atmosphere, its apparent as well as real 

 progress, would have been from N. W. to S. E. ; and this would 

 have been the line of direction on the eastern limits, whereas that 

 line appears to have been from N. E. to S. W. 



2. The height of the place whence the Meteors emanated, above 

 the surface of the earth, was about 2238 miles. 



The R. Ascension and Declination of the radiant point, having 

 been observed by Dr. Aiken, at Emmittsburg, (Md.) by Mr. Riddell, 

 at Worthington, (Ohio,) and by myself at New Haven, we hoped to 

 be able to obtain data for a satisfactory estimate of the height. But 

 the observations present singular anomalies, especially in respect to 

 the R. Ascension. As the observations were made without the use 

 of instruments, ftone of them can be supposed to have been entirely 

 accurate. Although, after making the observations, I had immediate 

 recourse to a celestial globe of the best construction, and marked the 

 spot with as much accuracy as I could, yet as the light of day was 

 advancing at the time of making the observation, and as the lines of 

 direction could not be traced back to the center of radiation, but on- 

 ly to the vicinity of that center, I cannot rely on my own observa- 

 tions as accurate, to less than half a degree. Mr. Riddell had the 

 advantage of a celestial map before him at the time ; but having no 

 other aid to the eye, he can hardly be supposed to have been much 

 more accurate, if at all. Dr. Aiken, resorted to a celestial globe, 

 soon after observing the point in question, and marked its position 

 with a pencil. He remarks, (in a letter recently received,) that its 

 declination must have been at least 24° 30', unless the globe which 

 he used was inaccurate ; and to enable me to judge of this, he gives 

 the R. Ascension and Declination of several of the neighboring stars 

 as indicated by the same globe. On comparing these elements with 

 those given by one of Carey's best globes, I find the dec. of Gamma 

 Leonis to be 45' less than that stated by Dr. Aiken. Hence, deduct- 

 ing 45' from 24° 30', we have 23° 45', as the true observed dec. at 

 lat. 39° 40', The dec. observed at Worthington, lat. 40° 4', was 

 21° 30', and at New Haven, lat. 41° 18', it was 20°.* 



* Not 21° as before stated by mistake. In the original article published on th 

 same day of the occurrence, it was given at 20°. 



