of the meteor of 1807. 225 
visible about halfa minute. In its progress it was occasionally ob- 
secured by thin broken clouds, which intercepted the view of it sev- 
eral times. No train of light was observed to accompany it. Its ve- 
locity did not appear to be so great as that of shooting stars. _ Its col- 
our was more vivid than that of the moon. The place of observation 
at Wenham, is in the latitude of 42°40’ 15” N and in the longitude of 
70° 50’ 15” W from Greenwich. 
By the observations of Judge Wheeler at Weston, published in 
the interesting memoir of Professors Silliman and Kingsley, in the 
sixth volume of the Transactions of the American Philosophical So- 
ciety held at Philadelphia, it appears, that on the fourteenth of De- 
cember 1807, at about 6h. 50’, A. M. “ numerous spots of uncloud- 
“ed sky were visible, and along the northern part of the horizon a 
** space of ten or fifteen degrees was perfectly clear. The attention 
“ of Judge Wheeler was first drawn by a sudden flash of light, which 
* illuminated every object. Looking up he discovered in the north a 
“ globe of fire, just then passing behind the cloud, which obscured 
“ though it did not entirely hide the meteor. In this situation its ap- 
“‘ pearance was distinct, and well defined, like that of the sun seen 
“through a mist. It rose from the north, and proceeded in a direc- 
“tion nearly perpendicular to the horizon, but inclining, by a very 
“small angle, to the west, and deviating a little from the plane of a 
“ great circle, but in pretty large curves, sometimes on one side of the 
“plane, and sometimes on the other, but never making an angle with 
“it of more than four or five degrees. Its apparent diameter was 
“about one half or two thirds the apparent diameter of the full moon. 
“ Its progress was not so rapid as that of common meteors and shoot- 
“ ing stars. When it passed behind the thinner clouds, it appeared 
5 brighter than before; and when it passed the spots of clear sky, it 
“flashed with a vivid light, yet not so intense as the lightning of a 
