Shooting Stars of August^ 1839. 333 



pear that they were more numerous than usual, but there was no 

 systematic observation. For five days subsequent to this, the 

 weather was unpropitious. I am indebted to Prof. S. for the fol- 

 lowing extract from the London Globe of Aug. 20, 1839. 



9. Brussels, Belgium. — " Falling Stars. — During the nights 

 of Friday and Saturday, the 9th and 10th of August, the heavens 

 were bestrewed with little falling stars of extraordinary bright- 

 ness. Mr. [T. ?] Forster counted above 600 of them. It is not 

 a little singular that the peasants of Franconia and Saxony have 

 believed for ages past, that St. Lawrence weeps tears of fire, 

 which fall from the sky every year on his fete, (the 10th of Au- 

 gust.) This ancient popular German tradition or superstition has 

 been found, within these few years, to be a fact which engages 

 the attention of astronomers. The inhabitants of Brussels can 

 bear witness that on the night of the 10th, this year, St. Law- 

 rence shed abundance of tears. — Brussels Paper.'''' 



Remarks. 



It is evident from the observations above detailed, that on the 

 nights of August 9th and 10th, 1839, shooting stars were much 

 more abundant than usual ; and it will probably not be doubted 

 that they were also unusually numerous, but to a less degree, du- 

 ring a few days previous and subsequent to that time. At this 

 place, (and probably in all parts of the globe having about the 

 same or a higher northern latitude,) the number seen during these 

 two nights was at least four or five times greater than the yearly 

 average. This average is not yet settled with much exactness, 

 but from several observations made here, it seems improbable that 

 it exceeds 30 per hour for four observers. On the night succeed- 

 ing July 16, 1839, Messrs. Bush and Haile, and myself, observed 

 for three hours, ending at 2 A. M. of the 17th, with special refer- 

 ence to a comparison with August 9th and 10th. We saw in all 

 74 meteors ; adding to this number a third part, we have nearly 

 100, or an average of 33 per hour for four observers. The time of 

 night at which the meteors were most frequent, was, probably, as 

 appears by the observations of Mr. Knox, at Middletown, later than 

 3 A. M., at which time the radiant was not far from the meridian. 

 The place of the radiant as determined here, differs but little from 

 the mean of the observations made in this country in August, 

 1838, (this Jour., vol. 35, p. 169, etc.,) but it cannot be considered 

 as settled with all the precision which may be hereafter attained. 



