NO. 5 HEXAHEDRITES — HENDERSON II 



The three foregoing events happened within 57 years, and in two 

 cases the observed flights extended 1,000 to 1,100 miles and 

 about 400 miles, respectively. Witnesses of the 1913 fireball re- 

 ported that more than one object was seen moving through the 

 sky. Meteorites are usually considered to be single objects when 

 they enter our atmosphere, but it appears on the basis of the 1913 

 observation that several objects can enter the atmosphere at slightly 

 different times and along the same trajectory. If more than one 

 object was involved in the 1913 fireball, probably some were higher 

 in the sky than others, although all appeared to be moving on the 

 same or only slightly different trajectories. 



Before leaving the subject of fireballs, some comments seem neces- 

 sary on recurring meteor showers that appear from year to year. 

 Elliott (1804) wrote about the November 12, 1799, display as 

 follows : 



November 12, 1799, about three o'clock a.m., I was called up to see the shooting 

 stars. The phenomenon was grand and awful, the whole heavens appeared as if 

 illuminated by sky rockets, which disappeared only by the light of the sun after 

 daybreak. The meteors which appeared at any one instant as numerous as stars, 

 flew in all possible directions except from the earth towards which they are 

 inclined more or less, and some of them descended perpendicularly over the 

 vessel we were in. So that I was in constant expectation of their falling among 

 us. We were in latitude 25° N. and SE. of Kay Largo near the edge of the 

 Gulph Stream. I have since been informed that the phenomenon extended over 

 a large proportion of the West India Islands and as far north of Mary's in 

 latitude 30°42', when it appeared as brilliant as with us off Cape Florida.^ 



Although it is frequently stated that meteorites do not fall from 

 reappearing meteor showers, such as the Leonid showers in No- 

 vember, this may be incorrect, for the records show that from 1800 

 to the present time (January 1963), 43 meteorites have fallen in 

 November. The greatest number of meteorites to fall on any day 

 in November is 5, and this number fell on the 12th day of the month. 

 Thus, until more information is available, we cannot be sure that 

 these recurring meteor showers do not bring an occasional meteorite. 

 However, one phenomenal shower like that observed in 1799 could 

 have delivered most of these hexahedrites. 



Between 1800 and mid-1962, 218 meteorites fell and were 

 recovered in August, September, October, and November. The 

 distribution of these falls is shown in figure 2 by listing the year and 

 the day of the month on which the fall occurred.^ The Bali, West 



1 Humboldt, the German naturalist, who was in South America in 1799, also 

 observed this meteor display. 



- Seventeen falls were reported by year and month, but the day was not given. 



