OBSERVATIONS OF LUMINOUS METEORS. 75 



at Bristol wns received from Mr. William F. Denning : — " On September 4 

 I noticed several shooting- stars that were quite conspicuous. At 9^ 40™ one 

 passed slowly down from the N.E. to the north horizon. It was of globular 

 form, and seemed to leave sparks in its flight. No train of light marked its 

 path. This was the most brilliant one that I saw, and was equal, I imngine, 

 to a star of the first magnitude." On the 10th of September, 1871, at 

 V 4™ P.M., a very brilliant meteor was also seen, while the daylight was yet 

 too strong for any stars to be visible, by Mr. S. J. Johnson, at Upton Helions, 

 near Crediton, in Devonshire, and by several other persons in that vicinity. 

 It described, in about five seconds, a course of 15°, from an altitude of 

 about 25° to an altitude of about 10° above the south horizon. 



A large meteor is stated, in the ' Madras Times,' to have been observed at 

 Trevandrum, in India, on the night of the 21st of October, 1871, which 

 crossed the sky from the north, with rapid speed, in about four seconds, 

 moving at an altitude of 35° or 40°*. 



Some accounts of other bright meteors, noticed towards the end of last year, 

 will be found described in the accompanying general list of such observations. 



1872, Feb. 7, about 9^ 40" p.m. — A second meteor of great brilliancy was 

 seen by Mr. Joseph Lawson, near Brancepeth, Durham, on this evening, of 

 which he communicated the following description : — 



The meteor first appeared above and to the right of y Cassiopeiaj, whence 

 it described in about two seconds a downward course of about 30° towards 

 the west, directed nearly from Polaris. It appeared small at first, but in- 

 creased steadily until the apparent width of the head was about 30' of arc, 

 its uniform expansion strongly conveying the impression of a gradual approach 



Vrsa- 

 or 



CassioveitL 



Majt 



opeitt n J 



J loLafis 



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Position of a meteor's path among the stars, and its apparent perspective approach 

 towards the observer, near Brancepeth, Durham.— Feb. 7th, 1872. 



towards the observer's place. As it advanced the head became pear-shaped, 

 intensely white, with a border of purple light, and it finally burst into several 

 fragments, which appeared as very white sparks, advancing further upon the 

 meteor's course, and speedily becoming red. The fragments disappeared from 

 view behind the smoke of a neighbouring colliery, the noise of whose engines, 

 close at hand, prevented the sound of a report, if any followed the meteor's 

 explosion, from being heard. 

 1872, March 4, 7'' 45™ p.m. — A bright meteor seen at many places in 



» ' Nature,' December 28, 1871. *% 



o2 



