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300 Sowditch on the Meteor which passed over Wilmi7igton 



6. This meteor was seen and carefully examined by John W, 

 Proctor Esquire, in Danvers, Massacliusetls, (lat. 4^° 34' N. Ion. 



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70° 56' W.) who gave me the following account. ^^ On the eve- 

 ning of Nov. 21, 1819, between the hours of 6 and 7, I saw a me- 

 teor much larger and more brilliant than any I have ever before 



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seen. Immediately after, I looked at my watch, and the time was 

 6^ 2(y ; but there might possibly be an error of 15' in the regula- 

 tion of the watch. I was walking in a central part of the town of 

 Danvers, in the direction in which the meteor appeared, and think 

 it prohahle that I saw it when it first appeared. The moon at that 

 time was about five days old, and shone bright. The meteor was 

 much more brilliant and luminous than the moon. The form of 



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the meteor was oval or oblong, the longest diameter being in the 

 direction of its motion. Admitting the apparent diameter of the 

 moon to be 30' [32], I should think the apparent length of the 

 meteor was 9' [9' 36'^], and breadth 6' [6' 24>'q. When I Erst 

 saw it, it was about 5° above the horizon. Its motion was rapid, 

 inclining to the west, so that the arch of a great circle of the 

 sphere, which it appeared to describe, intersected the horizon in 



e of about 75°. The land over which it appeared was el- 

 evated about li° above the place on which I stood, at the distance 

 of one third of a mile. The point of the horizon in which it dis- 

 appeared was from me in the direction S. 59" W. The appear- 

 ance of the meteor was vivid and brilliant in the highest degree ; 

 resembling the burning of charcoal, phosphorus or iron in oxygen 

 gas. Sparks, some of which were apparently of the size of the 

 larger stars, appeared, thrown off from the meteor in every direc- 

 tion. It resembled a piece of red hot iron when first taken from 

 the furnace. The time that I saw it, I cannot accurately estimate. 



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