362 Meteoric Shower of April 20, 1803. 



o'clock. The sky was clear, and the moon interfered only until 

 about 1 A. M. One watched in the North quarter, the other in. 

 the South. During the three hours, we observed fifty eight me- 

 teors as follows : 



From Oh. to Ih. A. M. in N. nine ; in S. nine = 18 



1 " 2 " " eleven; " six = 17 



2 " 3 " " thirteen ; " ten = 23 

 Several of the meteors were large, and left trains, but there was 



nothing remarkable in this respect. One apparently as large as 

 Jupiter, fell near the horizon in the N. W. about a quarter past 

 two o'clock, which as it burst, shot forth three red fire-balls. The 

 times of flight were generally less than half a second. Soon after 

 we took our stations, we noticed that the apparent paths of the 

 majority of the meteors, if traced back, would meet in a spot 

 somewhere between « Lyrce. and 7 Draconis, (about R. A. 273°, 

 N. D. 45°,) and the radiant did not appear to change its place 

 among the stars as they moved westward. 



On the morning of the 20th, Messrs. C. P. Bush, M. Canales, 

 J. T. Seeley and myself, began observations at fifteen minutes past 

 midnight. During the hour next following, we observed nive- 

 teen meteors. The radiant could not be so well determined as 

 on the morning previous. The time was unfavorable : — the 

 moon (then near the first quarter) interfered, and ^the sky was 

 partially clouded. In good circumstances; we should probably 

 have seen double the number. Considering this quantity as only 

 about equal to the yearly average, we concluded to abandon the 

 field. An accident entirely prevented any further observation on 

 my part, for several days succeeding. 



2. Hudson^ O. — The observations of four members of Western 

 Reserve College were obtained, through the kindness of Prof. 

 Loomis. On the 19th, from 2 h. to 3 h. A. M., two observers, 

 looking from E. to W. by way of S., saw thirteen meteors ; from 

 3 h. to 4 h., twelve. On the 20th, two observers, saw, from 2 h. 

 to 3h. A. M., tioelve] from 3 h. to 4 h. thirteen. 



3. Geneva, N. Y. — Mr. Azariah Smith, Jr. watched at various 

 times on the mornings of the 16th, 19th, and 20th. He saw 

 several meteors, (two of unusual splendor on the 19th,) but the 

 number was not above the average. All, or nearly all of them, 

 came from the head of Draco. — Observations at Rochester, N. Y". 

 and at Claiborne, Ala. detected nothing unusual. The news- 



