ASTRONOMY AND COSMIC THEORIES. 99 



tions of all planetary bodies at varying distances from 

 the primary. 



A still more important discovery is that which has 

 explained, by one consistent theory, the various phe- 

 nomena presented by aerolites, fireballs, and shooting or 

 falling stars, now generally classed as meteors and 

 meteorites ; and this theory is found to have an impor- 

 tant bearing on the constitution of the solar system, and 

 perhaps even on that of the whole stellar universe. Al- 

 though there are records of the fall of solid stones from 

 the sky in the Avorks of classical, Chinese, and European 

 authors, from 654 B. c. down to our times, while the 

 astronomer Gassendi himself witnessed the fall of a stone 

 weighing 59 Ibs. in the year 1C2T, in the south of 

 France, yet the phenomenon was so rare, and so inex- 

 plicable, that it was often disbelieved. One philosopher 

 is reported to have disposed of the whole matter by say- 

 ing, " there are no stones in the sky, therefore none can 

 fall from it." But the evidence for such falls soon be- 

 came overwhelming, and their connection with fireballs 

 and shooting stars was also well established. One of the 

 most remarkable of modern meteors was that seen at 

 Aigle in Normandy, on April 26, 1803. About 1 p. M. 

 a brilliant fireball was seen traversing the air at great 

 speed. A violent explosion followed, apparently pro- 

 ceeding from a small lofty cloud. This was no doubt 

 the product of the explosion which would be visible long 

 before the sound was heard, and then came a perfect 

 shower of stones, nearly three thousand being picked up, 

 the largest weighing eight pounds. A still more ex- 

 traordinary meteor was seen on March 19, 1719, about 

 eight o'clock in the evening, in all parts of England, 



