138 report — 1877. 



in S. Wales, and it was followed by a long train of red and yellow 

 sparks. 



1876, September 24, 6 h 30 m p.m. — Far tbe most splendid meteor seen in 

 England for somo years past burst over the English Channel on the last Sun- 

 day evening in September 1876. A view of the phenomenon, complete in 

 every point from first to last, was obtained of the brilliant spectacle at the 

 Orwell Park Observatory, near Ipswich, by Mr. J. J. Plummer, who kindly 

 supplied the Committee with the following details * : — " It was bright twi- 

 light throughout the whole time (from G h 31 ra to 6 h 47 m , local time) that the 

 meteor and its streak were visible. The whole course (whose length I esti- 

 mate at 25°, traversed in about 3 seconds) may be divided into three por- 

 tions (roughly equal) in order to describe it accurately. In the first portion 

 its brightness was not remarkable, though it exceeded a first-magnitude star. 

 In the second or middle portion it rapidly increased in brilliancy to many 

 times the brightness of Venus, and then almost suddenly sunk to its former 

 magnitude. In the third portion it again increased in brilliancy, this time 

 much exceeding its former maximum, and with the like suddenness was to- 

 tally extinguished. This portion of its course was, however, marked out by 

 a narrow luminous train, about 6° long, and with scarcely perceptible width, 

 which enabled mo to fix the position of the point of disappearance [by a com- 

 parison with the neighbouring planet Saturn, about 3° below it] with con- 

 siderable precision. There was no explosion ; no noise. The diameter of 

 the disk could not exceed 2' [the inappreciable width of the light-streak 

 plainly betokens this], and might have been less, and was slightly pear- 

 shaped, which appearance may, I think, have been due to the persistence of 

 the impression on the retina. It is very difficult to estimate with any accu- 

 racy its maximum brightness, as there is no object in the heavens with which 

 to compare it. I have recently shown that Venus has only ^jj of the bril- 

 liancy of the full moon, and there is thus a very wi'de gap between these two 

 standards of reference as regards brilliancy. If the moon had a diameter no 

 greater than that at which I estimate the meteor, with the same amount of 

 light, its intrinsic lustre would of course bo 240 times that it has at present, 

 making it a very brilliant body. Still 

 I do not think I exaggerate when I 

 say that the meteor would be equal to such 

 a body. The glare closely resembled that 

 of a very vivid Hash of lightning, for which 

 it was mistaken by somo persons. After the 

 disappearance the train was seen as a lumi- 

 nous cloud drifting slowly northward, taking successively the 

 following forms (A), and gradually losing its definite outline. 

 During its visibility it drifted about 12° or 15°. The wind 

 was south-south-westerly at the time." 



A similar description of the streak to this is given by Mr. 

 P. Harding, at Ipswich, as shown in the annexed sketch (B) 

 received from Mr. Corder. " Time, 6 h 20 m . Apparent size 

 equal to the moon, but much brighter. Fell very rapidly 

 from a height of 50° or G0° in the S.S.E. White, followed 

 by a train of brilliant colours, and leaving a broad streak 



* A similar notice of the meteor, by Mr. Plummer, appeared in 'Nature,' vol. xiv. 

 p. 505. The particulars of the observed positions are recorded in the list of large meteor 

 observations included in the general catalogue annexed to this Report. 



