OBSERVATIONS OF LUMINOUS METEORS. 



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Attention was principally directed to the northern sky, and many meteors 

 doubtless escaped observation. Most of those observed were especially 

 small ones ; those seen on the 9th were nearly all minute and scarcely dis- 

 cernible. Several brilliant ones were seen, however. At 12'' 23"* on 

 August 10, a meteor of great lustre, and star-like in appearance, diverged 

 from Perseus towards the horizon. It was of a blue colour, and left a lumi- 

 nous streak which was visible for about four seconds. 



At 10'' 4-1'" on August 11, another brilliant one, about as bright as Venus, 

 was visible in Ursa Minor, and the train of light which it left was visible 

 for a few seconds. It was, however, at 12'' 50™ on the latter date that the 

 most brilliant meteor was seen. It passed between the fourth-magnitude 

 stars e and ^ Cygni, and soon afterwards disappeared, leaving a train of light 

 which endured for about seven seconds. This one, like the great majority 

 of those observed, radiated from or nearly from the small star B Camelopardi. 



The first of these bright meteors corresponds with an observation at 

 Cardiff, contained in the description of the star-shower on the 10th of 

 August communicated to Mr. Glaisher by Mr. G. C. Thompson : — " August 

 11, 12'' 22"' A.M. — A meteor, as bright as Venus, passing downwards between 

 u and /3 Aurigfe, from the direction of the sword-handle in Perseus. Fine 

 purple colour ; leaving a portion of phosphorescent train visible for about 

 half a minute, which had, I think, a lateral drifting motion in the direction 

 of /) Aurigaj." 



No sound followed the explosion of any of these meteors. Mr. Denning 

 adds the following list of observations of the same shower by Mr. Edmund 

 Neison in London, who was assisted in his watch for the meteors by two 

 friends, and who recorded the numbers visible on successive nights. 



The total number of meteors observable was, without doubt, over 500, as 

 only about one half of the sky was kept under view. The following par- 

 ticulars were recorded of some of the most brilliant meteors which came 

 under observation. 



