On the Meteors of 13th November, 1833. 345 



of their starting point from the radiant, the very longest meteors of 

 every class, when compared together, although varying greatly among 

 themselves in angular velocity and length, had the same general 

 time of flight. Mr. J. N. Palmer — being requested to conceive 

 and follow in his mind the motions of some of the most remark- 



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able, among the short and gently moving meteors, in the immediate 

 vicinity of the radiant, and to give signals corresponding to their 



appearance and extinction — made the intervals 1 \ to If seconds. In 

 like manner, at a medium distance, the greatest time of flight was judg- 

 ed to be If seconds; and the flight, at a great distance from the radi- 



ant, of the very longest and most brilliant, 2f or 3 seconds. Mr. Palm- 

 er had however on the spot, with a watch at his ear, noted the time 

 of several flights — he thinks ten or twelve — of about 40° in length ; 

 he purposely selecting the very longest. Their flight was measured 

 very uniformly by ten beats of the watch ; which, on examination, 

 proved to be four seconds. These measurements of length and of 

 time were made by Mr. Palmer with an express view to deduce the 

 angular velocity. In addition to these observations we may state that 

 a gentleman of great intelligence, and of astronomical skill, estimated, 

 from recollection, the times of flight of the meteors to have been from 

 half a second to something less than four seconds. A lady also descri- 

 bed, from recollection, the flight of one particular meteor in the heav- 



ens, and also the time. — The former was 25°; the latter If seconds, 

 by repeated trials. This was seen in a situation to present nearly 

 its greatest angular velocity. Mr. D. Tomlinson thinks the very 

 longest flight which he witnessed was 2f seconds. The writer him- 

 self would call the path of the longest meteors which he observed 

 30° — and 3 seconds the very extreme of time. The brilliant meteor 

 which he has before described and which traversed a distance in 

 space as great, it may be, in absolute dimensions as this one whose velo- 

 city we are seeking to ascertain, occupied a duration much less than 

 3 seconds. Mr. Merrick particularly observed that the angular ve- 

 locity of this, was the same as of the other meteors (in its vicinity, 

 as we understand him) and has estimated the time of flight at be- 

 tween 2 and 3 seconds. He also estimates the length at 30°, while 

 Mr. Olmsted estimated it at 30° or more ; and it may be deduced, 

 from the relation of this meteor's flight to the radiant and the two 

 observers, that it must have subtended to their view about its maxi- 

 mum angular extent. From all these considerations combined 

 particularly from comparing the length, 30°, of this meteor with those 



