in the state of Delaware^ J\^ov. 2i^ 1819. 



305 



visible ^vitli great splendour near the zenith of a spectator at 

 Wilmington^ it would have been much less noticed at Baltimore^ 

 because its direction would have fallen nearly in a liiic with the 

 body of the meteor, which would have partly prevented its being 

 seen. As the meteor began to diminish in lustre, the position at 

 Baltimore became more favourable, and then a lucid ring was visi- 



r 



ble there, but was not seen at Wilmington. Both these observa- 

 tions are however perfectly compatible with each other ; for if 

 the plane of the ring was a vertical one passing through the path 

 of the meteor, its edge only could have been seen at Wilming- 



ton, while the whole 



could have been seen at Balti 



in the same manner as Saturn's ring might disappear from our 

 view, although in its greatest opening as observed from another 



; 



planet 



It may b 



the heiaht we have assisined to the 



of the meteor and hearing the report of 



meteor is in some measure confirmed, by the time elapsed 



the disappearance 

 which by the observation at Wilmington and Salem (W. J.) was 

 from two to three minutes, and by supposing sound to move at the 

 rate of 1143 feet per second, it would correspond to a distance of 

 from S6 to 39 miles from these places. 



• 



* 



