Weston Meteorite of Dec. 14, 1S07. 133 



ter we are indebted for our knowledge concerning its height, di- 

 rection, velocity and magnitude. 



The case of the Weston meteor is one of exceeding impor- 

 tance, because it is probably the only instance where a meteor 

 from v/hich stones are known to have come to the earth, has 

 been sufficiently well observed for the determination of its velo- 

 city. This element is of great value, on account of its bearing 

 on the relation between meteorites and shooting stars. There 

 can indeed be no reasonable doubt, that many of the meteors 

 which have been seen and heard to explode, and whose phenom- 

 ena have been submitted to calculation, were true meteorites ; 

 but this is a case where there is absolute certainty. 



Dr. Bowditch ascertained that the course of the Weston me- 

 teor " was about S. 7° W., in a direction nearly parallel to the 

 surface of the earth, and at the height of about eighteen miles." 

 It was about a mile further from the earth's surface when it ex- 

 ploded, than when it first appeared. The length of its path from 

 the time it was first seen until it exploded, as determined from 

 the observations made at Rutland, Yt., and at Weston, was at 

 least 107 miles. This space being divided by the duration of 

 the flight as estimated by two of the observers, viz. thirty seconds, 

 we have for the meteor's relative velocity, about three and a half 

 miles a second. The observations made at Wenham, Mass., are 

 probably less exact in this respect, and need not be mentioned 

 here. Every one accustomed to observations on meteors, knows 

 how difficult it is accurately to determine the duration of their 

 visible flight. An inexperienced observer, however intelligent, 

 will frequently give the time, ten or even twenty fold too large. 

 The apparent motion of the Weston meteor, was probably much 

 slower than that of most meteors, but it seems to me highly im- 

 probable that its visible flight could have exceeded fifteen or 

 twenty seconds. Mr. Page, the observer at Rutland, Vt., says, — 

 "motion very rapid, probably thirty seconds in sight." The 

 arc traversed by the meteor as there seen, was not over 15 de- 

 grees. Now it is scarcely credible that any man could consider 

 as vejy rapid, the motion of a meteor at the rate of one degree in 

 two seconds of time. It will perhaps be deemed improper to 

 introduce here, at this distant period, the recollected observation 

 of one not unversed in science, who saw the meteor from a spot 

 a few miles northwest of this city, and who is confident that it 

 could not have been in sight as long as ten seconds. I will 



