1G REPORT 1860. 



Schmidt remarks on the strangeness of this stationary condition of the lumi- 

 nous trains of meteors, likewise on the cloud-like appearances generally left 

 by detonating meteors even in the day-time, when we come to consider the 

 enormous velocity of the meteors themselves through the higher regions of 

 the atmosphere ; but he says, " we must recollect an easy and interesting ex- 

 periment, by which we may obtain a similar result. If you take a common 

 lucifer match, still burning, or when it is just about to become extinguished, 

 and throw it from you in any direction, either quickly or slowly, you will 

 in many cases perceive, either a straight immoveable line, or an undulating 

 or curling line of white-grey smoke, standing still in the air, if the air is calm 

 and not in motion." 



M. Schmidt observes how important observations, whether telescopic or 

 otherwise, are respecting the tails of meteors, — 1st, as regards their proper 

 motion ; 2nd, the downward curvature sometimes exhibited by them, and 

 the way in which they break up and disperse; and 3rd, the means they may 

 afford of ascertaining by parallax their height above the earth, a matter of 

 very great importance for ascertaining at what heights the atmosphere ceases 

 to have any influence. 



M. Schmidt then proceeds to cite a number of instances from his own 

 catalogue of meteors, where tails have been observed of long duration, or as 

 offering very peculiar appearances: e.g. 



I66i. Aug. 3. A very large meteor with curved tail, seen at Papa, Hun- 

 gary. 



1791. Nov. 11. At Gottingen and Lilienthal, a meteor left an undulating 

 tail of a shining white colour, in parts alternately showing the prismatic 

 colours ; then became more curved, and turned into vapour of a pale yellow- 

 ish colour before finally disappearing. 



1798. Oct. 9. Brandes witnessed at Gottineren how the tail of a bright 

 shooting-star bent itself within 15 seconds like a bow. 

 1840. July 30. Ditto at Vienna, in 15 seconds also. 

 1815. Oct. 24-. Schmidt observed at Bonn the change in the form of the 

 tail of a meteor in 4 minutes; it became severed and bent, and dissolved 

 into small grey clouds. The whole mass moved 1° from its original place at 

 final disappearance. 



1853. Oct. 26. A large meteor seen in Pomerania, left behind it a spiral 

 tail 3° long, which contracted soon into a ball, and again passed into a spiral 

 curve, finally assuming the shape of a capital Z. 



185k Aug. 1. At Gottingen, a fine meteor left behind a bright tail 3' 

 wide and 2° in length, lasted 8 or 9 minutes after dividing itself into three 

 oval balls, and showing at first uneven undulations or knots, while the tail itself 

 shortened and became more like a W. Whilst these changes took place in the 

 tail, the whole mist-like mass moved along the sky in a nearly opposite direc- 

 tion to the motion of the fireball itself; the tail had thus moved 9° in 8 minutes. 

 1859. Aug. 9, 10, 11. During these three nights, M. Schmidt at Athens 

 succeeded in observing, on four different occasions, the curving of meteor- 

 tails through the telescope. The whole time, in three cases of visibility, was 

 170", 140", and 220" respectively ; in one case only 10" or 12". The curva- 

 ture of the tail began to be perceptible almost directly after the meteor 

 vanished, and the proper motion in one direction very decided. In one of 

 these cases, viz. on Aug. 11, a bright orange-coloured shooting-star left a tail 

 visible to the naked eye 4-" or 5", but through the telescope 220"; the direc- 

 tion about from E.N.E. to»W.S.W. The following figure shows the real mo- 

 tion of the tail, compared with the apparent motion of the shooting-star. 

 The tail finally broke up into a number of small fragments. 



