OBSERVATIONS OF LUMINOUS METEORS. 



77 



to a considerable weight. The historical review of researches on meteorites 

 during the past year, which this last appendix of the Reports contains, is 

 also throughout of very particular and valuable interest. 



Appendix I. 



Notes of Meteors and Fireballs doubly observed. 



The following double observations of shooting-stars were obtained by 

 Mr. Denning and Mr. Corder, during nights of simultaneous watch at 

 Bristol and Writtle, near Chelmsford, in October and November last. 



Date, 



1878 



Oct. 24 

 Oct. 24 

 Nov. 18 



Hour, 

 Approx. 

 G.M.T. 



h. m. .- 



12 25 a.m. J. 



12 45 a.m. | 



9 50 p.m 



Place of 

 Observa- 

 tion 



Bristol 



Writtle 



Bristol 

 Writtle 

 Bristol 

 and 



Writtle 



Appar. 

 Size as 

 per Stars 



Apparent Path 



from 

 o 5 



to 



Radiant Point of the 

 projected Paths 



5th mag. 



2nd maa*. 



o o 



107 + 13 



54 + 23 



133 + 23 



131+48 



110 + 20 

 32 + 35 



144 + 25 



141 + 52 



J98-12 



J86 + 6 



By nearest 

 Stars 



fNear 6 

 ■I Canis 

 L Majoris 

 /Near a 

 \ Orionis 



2nd mag 

 2nd mag 



See descriptions of the meteor in the accom 

 panying general fireball list. 



Only the resulting radiant-points of the first two of these meteors, 

 obtained from projections of their apparent paths, have yet been deter- 

 mined. The real path of the last meteor, which was a small fireball, 

 vertical over Brittany, in the western part of France, will be found 

 described in the accompanying table which exhibits a list of such results, 

 continued from similar lists in the last three years' Reports, of meteor 

 heights, &c, which have been recently determined. The following notes 

 include remarks and some further observations of these fireballs in 

 addition to those accounts of them which are given in detail in the 

 general fireball list of this report. 



Path of the meteor of 1868, September 5, 8 h 35 m p.m. Berne time 

 <8 h 5 m p.m., G.M.T.), by Gr. von Niessl. 1 This large fireball (see these 

 Reports, vol. for 1869, p. 226) was widely and well observed at many 

 places in France and Switzerland, and in Germany and Italy ; and some 

 accounts of it have already been submitted to calculation by M. Tissot, 2 

 who places the end-point 192 miles over Mettray, near Tours, in France. 

 The point of first visibility and nearest approach to the earth of M. 

 Tissot's track, is 70 miles over Belgrade, in Servia, and the meteor's 

 geocentric velocity was 55 miles per second, corresponding to a helio- 

 centric velocity of 95 miles per second. While horizontal at Belgrade, 

 this is an ascending course, inclined upwards at an angle of 14° to the 

 horizon of Mettray, where the meteor disappeared, and these are 

 results which appear to require more complete demonstration before they 

 -can be finally adopted. Professor Weilermann 3 also obtained from a 



1 Verhandluiujcn des Naturforselienden Vereiiis in Brunn, vol. xvii. Excerpt of 

 16 pp. from the author. 



2 Comptes Rendus, vol. lxix. p. 326. See these Reports, vol. for 1869, p. 272. 



3 Heis' Wochenschrift fur Astronomic, vol. for 1869, p. 153. 



