METEOKIC STONES AND SHOOTING STARS. 



continued for seven hours, the total number must have greatly 

 exceeded 280,000, inasmuch as this estimate was based on 

 observations when the density of the stars was much less than 

 its maximum. 



It may, therefore, be inferred that on this memorable night of 

 the 12-13th November, 1833, 300,000 masses forming part of 

 the solar system, and foreign to the earth, passed through 

 that part of the terrestrial atmosphere, which was visible at 

 Boston. 



19. From the apparent magnitude of many of the meteors, and 

 their probable distance, it was conjectured that they were bodies 

 of a very large size, although it was impossible to ascertain 

 their magnitude with any certainty. It was supposed that 

 they were only stopped in the atmosphere, and prevented from 

 reaching the earth by transferring their motion to columns of 

 air, large volumes of which they would suddenly and violently 

 displace. It was remarked that the state of the weather, and 

 the condition of the seasons following this meteoric shower, 

 were just such as might have been anticipated from these 

 disturbing circumstances of the atmospheric equilibrium. Such 

 were the speculations to which this remarkable phenomenon 

 gave rise. 



144 



