On the Meteors of 13th November, 1833, 339 



forming nearly a right angle with the other part, and then gradually 

 grew more dim until it disappeared," 



Fortunately, the writer has been able to obtain data for calcula- 

 ting the height of the one meteor which Prof. Olmsted has descri- 

 bed, as we have mentioned above. From Prof. Olmsted we learn 

 that the meteor exploded north of Capella, at a quarter before six, 

 mean time, near a spot which, being pointed out, proved to be in alti- 

 tude 45°, azimuth W. 37° N. Its length of flight, being also pointed 

 out between certain limits, proved to be 30°, at the very least. The 

 train of this meteor remained straight and motionless for a time — then 

 crooked near the middle — assumed a meandering line like a serpent, 

 and drew itself up at last into a cloud, of about five times the diameter 

 of the moon, which floated east, with a motion considerably more 

 rapid than the common cumulous clouds, in a moderate wind, till after 

 several minutes it disappeared nearly in the north. 



Mr. Daniel Tomlinson of Brookfield, in Connecticut, being at that 

 place, saw the light of a meteor and, immediately looking up to the ze- 

 nith, caught its expiring flash and saw its bright and straight train, which 

 was rather broadest in the middle and was pointed at the last or north- 

 ern extremity : — it rested directly in the zenith, one extremity being 

 about 5° S., and the other extremity as many degrees N. of the ze- 

 nith : — its course was, by the needle, 5°, or a very little more, W. o(N. ; 

 or, if we add the variation of needle, N. 12° W. In order to judge of 

 the length of this meteor, Mr. Tomlinson, at a subsequent period, se- 

 lected two stars at the same distance apart in the zenith, according to 

 his own judgment and that of several other persons, and measured the 

 arc instrumentally. This being done, his conclusion was, that the flight 

 of the meteor was at least 20°. Mr. Tomlinson's observations were 

 made in the most judicious manner; he examined the position of the 

 meteor's train by facing first to the E., then to the W., and finally 

 to the S. ; and the result was invariable — that the centre of the 

 train was directly in the zenith. 



This train retained its rectilinear form but a very few seconds ; in 

 the course of one minute (others think as many as three or four min- 

 utes) it had assumed shapes like the figures two, three, four and five; 

 and after curling up, like a tape dropped on the floor, the bound- 

 ing lines of the train, at the end of three minutes, at the farthest, 

 were completely effaced in a luminous cloud, five or ten degrees 

 broad, which dilated itself and was borne away eastward by the wind* 

 Mr. T. watched it, he thinks fifteen minutes, and saw it last at 45°, 



Vol. XXVI.— No. 2. 44 



