A CATALOGUE OF OBSERVATION'S OV LUMINOUS METEORS. 



279 



(of the late Mr. DoUand), magnifying about 60 times. A B, in the fignre, is 

 the projection of the vertical Line ; C D is the path of the meteor. " It was 



Kg. 1. 

 A 



not round, but shaped like E, the pointed end moving first. I was at the 

 time watching a faint spot near which it passed, and it was much blacker 

 than the spot. It took about 1|- second to cross. I also drew the apparent 

 size of the meteor and of the sun at that moment. By this means I find its 

 apparent diameter to be 27" approximately, i. e. greater than the mean dia- 

 meter of Saturn, and less than that of Jiipitcr. To have moved so slowly it 

 must surely have been beyond the limits of visible meteors ; and if at so great 

 a distance, how great must its size in all likelihood have been ! 



" I have here taken for granted that it was a meteor, which some may 

 question. _ Its motion was perfectly steady, quite unlike a bird crossing the 

 field of view, which I have often seen. Another person was watching the 

 spot with me at the time, so that there is coiToborative e\-idence. I was 

 enabled to take the time, position, shape, direction of flight, apparent size of 

 the meteor (as a fraction of the sun's diameter), all except the duration, with 

 great exactness. I may mention about the spot, that it was rywi'te in focus 

 for very distinct vision." 



Kansas, U.S. America, June 6th, 1868, 11'' 40" A.ir. (local time). 

 At Manhattan a meteor was first seen in the western sky at an elevation 

 of about 60°, descending at an angle of 75° to the horizon, and leaving a 

 luniinous streak which remained visible nearlv a minute. The nucleus, of a 

 vivid pink colour, was about 15' diameter. It feU in less than one second to 

 withm 12° of the horizon, where it burst, and thence descended in a double 

 stream of fire. About 4i minutes afterwards a double report, like 12-pounder 

 cannons at a distance of a mile, was heard. A light-blue cloud remained 

 at the point of explosion, 1|° long and nearly 1° wide, which remained 

 visible, without much change of shape, until it was obscured by cirro-cumulus 

 clouds. The report was heard over an area 120 miles in width, and the 

 meteor was seen at Topeka, Marysville, Ports Harker and Zarah, and at 

 other very distant places. Its flight was apparently from south to north. 



Height of the meteor when first seen 81 miles 



Height when it exploded 12-5 



Length of the luminous persistent cloud 144 



Breadth of ditto 0-96 " 



Diameter of tlie nucleus 1890 feet 



Distance of the explosion from the place of observation . . 58 miles 



