Shootmg Stars of August 9 and 10, 1S40. 331 



first magnitude. Very many left trains behind them. The color 

 of the majority was the usual phosphoric white, but frequently 

 with a tinge of red. Of the whole number there was but one 

 which seemed to explode. The larger meteors generally vanish- 

 ed when at their brightest. The times of flight varied from about 

 a tenth of a second to about two seconds ; the majority being 

 certainly not more than three fourths of a second. In all these 

 characters, the meteors of the seasons of abundance, appear not 

 to differ materially from those of other periods of the year. 



5. Zodiacal Light. Soon after the moon had set, (2 A. M. 

 10th,) I noticed a faint light lying along the northern horizon, 

 chiefly on the east of the north point, and extending upwards 

 about five degrees. By 3 o'clock, the familiar appearance of the 

 Zodiacal Light was distinctly visible in the northeast. It was 

 nearly as conspicuous as we commonly see it in October. The 

 stars Castor and Pollux were near its brightest part, from which 

 it stretched obliquely upwards in a triangular form about as far as 

 Aldebaran, its base blending with the horizontal Hght lying along 

 the horizon a little east of north, 



Havii]g had occasion since March, 1837, to observe the north- 

 ern portion of the heavens every evening, in order to ascertain 

 the presence or absence of the Aurora Borealis, I was in the sum- 

 mer months much perplexed with what appeared to be a faint 

 Auroral illumination in the north and a little west of north. 

 This light was on favorable occasions at that season, so constant, 

 that I was at first inclined to conclude that there is in summer 

 a continual Aurora Borealis. After a while, I was disposed to 

 believe that this appearance might be the Zodiacal Light. On 

 the 16th of July, 1839, when, in company with Messrs. Bush 

 and Haile, I watched until 3 A. M. and found that after midnight 

 this faint luminous appearance could not be discerned west of 

 north, but was evidently visible on the eastern side, I could 

 scarcely doubt that my last opinion was well founded. During 

 the present summer I have, in company with others, seen this ap- 

 pearance west of north as late as 10 P. M. ; but, not having look- 

 ed in the morning, had not noticed it after midnight until the 

 morning of the 10th. 



Although it is not established iwhat relation there is between 

 the Zodiacal Light and the periodical return of meteors, yet the 

 connection between them traced by Professor Olmsted, seems to 

 render it proper to make the preceding statement in this place. 



