OBSERVATIONS OF LUMINOUS METEORS. 



CHIEFLY DURING THE YEAllS 1872 and 1873. 



371 



^Path ° Direction or Radiant-point. 



From west to east 



80° 



'From N.E. to S., in a liori 

 zontal, slightly curved 

 course. 



[90°] 



R. to W. 



Appearance ; Remarks, &c. 



A splendid meteor ; very con- 

 spicuous, though passing so 

 near the moon, which was very 

 brilliant. Sky very clear aftei 

 a cloudy evening. 



Left a bright green streak, gra. 

 dually growing fainter. Ap. 

 parently an early meteor of the 

 stream of Leonids. 



Observer. 



W. F. Denning. 



J. E. Clark, and several 

 other observers. 



[N. to S.] 



The meteor must have started 

 from, or passed near the 

 zenitli, and have disappeared 

 behind trees in the west. 



Left a vast train of light ; al 

 first seen as a long streak, 

 Imt soon becoming wavy oi 

 serpentine, and like a nebu- 

 lous cloud, which grew fainter 

 and drifted from its jilace until 

 it disappeared, having been 

 visible at least three quarters 

 of an hour. 



Illuminated the whole sky (which 

 was at the time hazy, with a 

 slight fog obscuring the fainter 

 stars). Immediately before ex- 

 tinction, burst into many frag- 

 ments like a rocket. Left no 

 perceptible streak. No sound 

 of an explosion heard. 



Illuminated all surrounding ob 

 jects with a sudden light; dis- 

 appeared rather suddenly, left 

 no streak. 



The observer was startled b.\ 

 a bright flash, and on look- 

 ing in the direction named, 

 saw the streak which re- 

 mained upon the meteor' 

 • course. (Also described in 

 the ' Astronomical Register 

 for September 1869.) 



W. F. Denning. 



Id. 



Id. 



J. Lucas. (RadelifTe 

 Otiscvvations, 1869.) 



Downwnrds. 



Vertically downwards. 



Left a faint streak 



Disappeared behind some trees 



Id. 

 Id. 



Id. 



J. R Main. 



2b2 



