330 



On the Meteors of 13th November, 1S33. 



a constant divergence from a radiant which was at that time 1 5° below 

 the horizon, and even in some of the latitudes 20°, and which did not 

 rise till near eleven o'clock. This fact must lead to a suspicion that 

 the radiant, at that time, lay far to the west of its position in the 

 morning ; and in that case the only tenable supposition would seem 

 to be that from that time till four A. M, it moved with a progressive- 

 ly decreasing velocity eastward among the stars, till towards the morn- 

 ing it became stationary, — after which, according to the laws of accel- 

 erated or retarded action, it might begin to return upon its track. g 



The statement of Capt. Faurot, that in the earlier part of the 

 night, the motions were more horizontal and towards morning more 

 perpendicular, gives countenance to the idea of a change in the alti- 

 tude of the radiant from low to high; but, on the whole, it must be 

 admitted that the evidence of this point, previous to a quarter before 

 5, A. M., is too uncertain and contradictory to draw conclusions from; 

 and that the time during which we have certain proof of a fixed po- 

 sition of the radiant is too limited to admit of our founding any cer- 

 tain reasonings respecting the cause of the meteors upon the assump- 

 tion of such a fact, unless there can be found other grounds to sus- 

 tain that supposition. 



There is however a second fact, entirely independent of the one 

 just now considered, which is equally remarkable, and rests upon in- 

 contestible evidence, — the fact that the radiant, as seen from places 

 on the earth far distant one from another, had a location manifestly 

 independent of meridians and verticals, and not conformed to any 

 geodesic lines. The truth of this remark will be manifest, if we com- 

 pare in declination and right ascension the different situations of the 

 radiating point which are derived from authorities already mention- 

 ed, either in Prof. Olmsted's memoir, or in this article. Arranging 

 our authorities after a tabular form we have : 



Observer 



Mr. D. A. Strong, 

 Mr. F. Merrick, 

 Prof. Olmsted, 

 Mr. J. L. Riddel, 





Prof. 

 Prof. 



Capt. 



Aiken, 



Thomson, 

 Parker, 



Hour of day ; 

 mean time, A. M 



to 6h 30m 



to 6 45 ± 

 to 6 45 



