342 On the Meteors of 13th November, 1833. 



W; but the uncertainty of a few minutes in the time, and the pos- 

 sibility that the meteor may have passed a little eastward of the ze- 

 nith, dispose us to rely, in our diagram, upon the direct observation; 

 especially, as the change happens to be such as would scarcely affect 

 the result of our diagram. The remarkable observation made at 

 Kent confirms the justness both of this course and of all our con- 

 clusions. 



In determining the foot of the vertical in which the meteor explo- 

 ded, or expired, the Brookfield and Middletown azimuths have been 

 chiefly relied upon. The New Haven azimuth coincides almost 

 exactly with the result; as it should be expected to do, having been 

 fixed by means of a star. The other azimuths, at New York, West 

 Point and Kent, being given by judgment merely, without reference 

 to fixed objects, present, notwithstanding, an accordance more nice 

 than could have been anticipated. 



For determining the specific place or height of the meteor, at the 

 time of its explosion, the planes passing through the above named 

 vertical line and the different points of observation are revolved 

 around (see fig .2 of the plate) into the vertical plane of the meteor's 

 motion* In delineating the altitudes, the effect of curvature has been 

 regarded. To determine the exact place in the vertical, the New 

 Haven altitude has been principally relied upon, and next, that of 

 West Point ; although it happens that the Middletown observation 

 is almost exact, and all the others are near to the truth. The result 



If above the surface of the 



yf twenty 



In attempting to ascertain the height of the upper extremity of this 

 meteor's visible course, we revolve the New Haven and Middletown 

 planes of observation around the meteor's line of flight, as an axis, till 

 those planes coincide with the vertical plane in which the meteor's mo- 

 tion took place (or the Brookfield plane) ; and then throw back from the 

 lines which join the observer's eye and the place of the meteor's dis- 

 appearance, angles equal to the observed arcs of the meteor's flight. 

 The result is made apparent to the eye in the dotted back lines seen, 

 in fig. 2, proceeding upward from the three places just mentioned. 

 The Brookfield observation, which threw the point of first appearance 

 ten degrees at least south of the zenith, is considered to be an obser- 

 vation which may be relied upon as near the truth ; and for the rea- 

 sons following, it has been, with some confidence, adopted as one 

 of the data: 



