Meteoric Shower of November, 1836. 181 



hastily to Electricity, a quietus was given to all farther attempts at 

 explanation, while yet even the presence of this agent, in any extra- 

 ordinary degree, has never been proved. Magnetism has done 

 more : the auroral vapor is proved to have magnetic properties ; but 

 still this fact gives us no information respecting its origin. This, I 

 believe, is to be sought for in a source extrinsic to the earth. 



4. Foreign Accounts of the Meteoric Shower of November, 1836. 



In our last number, we published a statement of the observations 

 which had been made in this country, on the Meteoric Shower of 

 November last. We learn that, in consequence of an invitation issu- 

 ed by the French Academy, the same occurrence was extensively 

 observed by the astronomers of Europe, which resulted in a full con- 

 viction of the periodical nature of this phenomenon, in accordance 

 with the views of Prof. Olmsted, as expressed in preceding numbers 

 of this Journal. A digest of numerous observations, was laid before 

 the Academy by M. Arago, which was followed by an interesting 

 communication on the same subject by M. Biot. Not having yet 

 received the French journals containing these memoirs, and not hav- 

 ing room among our miscellanies for a full notice of them contained 

 in the London Athenaeum for January 7, 1837, we restrict ourselves 

 to a few brief extracts. 



" I do not conclude from the preceding considerations (adds M. 

 Biot) that the meteors of the 13th of November are certainly caused 

 by the collision and perturbations of the solar nebula with and from 

 the Earth. I neither affirm nor reject this identity 5 all I have been 

 desirous .of showing is, that on the 13th of November the Earth is 

 near the ascending node of the nebula, towards which she directs 

 her course, and soon traverses ; that in these circumstances of posi- 

 tion and movement, she must certainly act by attraction and collision 

 on the material particles of the nebula, which at that period would 

 be found near the ascending nodes of their orbits, and at an equal 

 distance from the Sun and Earth, or very nearly so, whence would 

 result phenomena coincident in direction and period with the meteoric 

 period of the l3th of November. Lastly, I have remarked, that the 

 usual passage of Mercury and Venus across much more central re- 

 gions of the nebula, must necessarily have disseminated, and do per- 

 haps still disseminate, innumerable particles into orbits very little in- 

 clined to the ecliptic, and directed in all ways ; so that the Earth 

 may accidentally meet with them in other points of her course. 



