OBSERVATIONS OP LUMINOUS METEORS. 



91 



On the night of the 9th of August the apparent paths of 38 rerseVcls re- 

 corded by the British-Associiition observers between 9'' and 12'' 50'" appear 

 to have diverged from two definite radiant-points of nearly equal intensity at 

 the extremities of an oval space, extending from ?/ Persei to near e Cassiopeise, 

 through which nearly all the recorded paths prolonged backwards passed. 

 These points were situated in li. A. 29°, N.DccL60°, and R. A. 39°, +55°. 



The general centre of divergence of the Perseids during the whole period of 

 greatest intensity of the shower on the nights of the 9th-12th of August, 1871, 

 was shown by the combined results of these observations to be a few degrees 

 northwards from the star ^ Persei, and not far from a point in R. A. 35°, 

 N. Decl. 59°, which is the average place obtained by giving equal weight to 

 all the separate radiant-centres shown iu the figure, of which tlic positions 



h2 



