On the Meteors of 13th November. 365 
I. Descriptions. 
1. Phenomena as observed at New Haven, (Lat. 41° 18'N., Lone 
72° 58’ W.) and published in the New Haven Daily Herald.* 
© About day break this morning, our sky presented a remarkable 
exhibition of Fire Balls, commonly called Shooting Stars. The at= 
tention of the writer was first called to the phenomenon about half 
past five o’clock;+ from which time until near sun rise, the appear- 
ance of these meteors was ieee and splendid, beyond any thing of 
the kind he has ever witnessed. 
Ta form some ‘idea of the phenomenon, the reader may imagine 
constant succession of fire balls, resembling sky sani radiating 
in in all directions from a point in the heavens, a few degre 
of the zenith, and following the arch of the sky towards aH horizon. 
ey commenced their progress ut different distances from the ra- 
diating point, but their directions were uniformly such, that the lines 
they described, if produced upwards, would all have met in he same 
part of the heavens. Around this point, or imaginary ra 
a circular space of several degrees, within which no acer were 
observed. The balls, as they travelled down the vault, wey left 
after them a vivid streak of light, and just before they dis 
exploded, or suddenly resolved themselves i into smo No. 
or noise of any kind was observed, although we listened attentively... 
Beside the foregoing distinct concretions, or individual bodies, 
the atmosphere exhibited phosphoric lines, following in the train of 
minute points, that shot off in the greatest abundance in a north- 
westerly direction. These did not so fully copy the figure of the 
y, but moved in paths more nearly rectilinear, and appeared to be 
much nearer the spectator than the fire balls. The light of their 
trains also was of a paler hue, not unlike that produced by writing 
with a stick of phosphorus on the walls of a dark room. The umber 
of these luminous trains increased sie diminished alternately, no 
and then crossing the field of view like snow _— before the wind, 
, in fact, their course was towards the wind. 
m these two varieties, the spectator was su baa with mete- 
ors of various sizes and degrees of splendor: some were mere points, 
but others were larger and brighter than Jupiter or par taal mH ~ 
seen by a credible witness before the writer was called, w deed 
to be nearly as large as the moon. The flashes of light, adkbaigh Ress 
intense than lightning, were so bright as to awaken people in their 
beds. One ball that shot off in the northwest direction, and explo- 
id : substance of this sketch is the same as that published in the New Haven 
Herald, on the day of the pone but as that sketch was drawn up in haste, 
careful reflection has since suggested a few additions and alterations of phraseolog y. 
“with a view of rendering the statement more explicit. 
t Apparent time, or a quarter past five, mean time. 
