THE RJCHARDTON METEORITE 445 



where, preferably at the state university museum, within the 

 state in which it fell. In this way some of the public Would 

 become familiarized with meteorites, their general appearance, 

 and their nature. The work of the collector and scientific investi- 

 gator would be lightened if the finders of meteorites could be 

 deterred from believing that meteorites contain gold, silver, 

 platinum, radium, and other rare metals in large quantities, and 

 from investigating meteorites with sledge hammers. 



With the help of Professor W. O. Beal, of the department of 

 astronomy of the University of Minnesota, the azimuth and 

 vertical angle of the fall of the meteorite have been computed, 

 using the description of Mr. Loran. 



In Mr. Loran's position at 12:15, the true local time is 

 12:45 P.M., at which time the sun is 12° W. of S. In his latitude 

 on the seventh day of November the sun is at an elevation of 27° 

 above the horizon at noon. Thus, according to Mr. Loran the 

 meteorite fell in a direction 12° E. of N., making a vertical angle 

 of about 27° with the earth's surface. 



Mr. St. Marie, 100 miles to the south and 30 miles west of 

 Mr. Loran, thought the meteorite started to burn' immediately 

 above him. His bearing from Mr. Loran was 17° W. of S., showing 

 that Mr. Loran's estimate of 12° W. of S. must be nearly correct. 

 Furthermore, Mr. St. Marie estimated the direction of flight as 

 from 10° to 15° E. of N. Mr. St. Marie and Mr. Loran were 104^ 

 miles apart at the time of their observations, representing the 

 locations of the incipient incandescence and the landing of the 

 meteorite. If the meteorite fell in a straight line the altitude 

 of the meteorite when it started to burn was at least 54I miles 

 above the earth's surface, allowing i^ miles for the earth's curva- 

 ture. This height should be increased probably to at least 60 

 miles because the meteorite probably did not fall in a straight 

 Hne, but rather in a parabohc curve, although there are no data 

 recorded about that except Mr. St. Marie's note that the meteor- 

 ite appeared to fall progressively more toward the east. It seems 

 safe to say that the meteorite started to burn at a great, but not 

 an unusually great, height above the earth. Heights of 40 and 100 

 miles bound the region in which meteorites commonly start to burn. 



