376 On the Meteors of ISth JVovember. 



data for calculating the height of these luminous bodies; which is a 

 question highly desirable to be solved. — My crude conjecture is that 

 their elevation from the earth was very great ; and consequently that 

 their velocity was inconceivably rapid." 



7. Phenomena as observed at Lynchburg, Virginia, (Lat. 37° 

 30' N., Lon. 79° 22' W.,) by Mr. F. G. Smith, (from a Lynchburg 

 paper.) 



"Messrs. Editors, — On this morning, (Nov. 13) between 2 o'clock 

 and daybreak, we were presented with a most beautiful display of 

 electrical excitement in the upper regions of the atmosphere, proba- 

 bly not excelled in interest by the similar meteoric phenomenon of 

 Nov. 1802. 



At 10 o'clock last night, I was struck with' the uncommon trans- 

 parency of the atmosphere and brilliance of the stars. Soon after ' 

 having ray attention thus called to the peculiar state of the air, I felt 

 a slight repetition of the tremulous motion of the earth, which has 

 repeatedly been observed in this vicinity of late. 



The shooting stars, of which we had so impressive an exhibition 

 this morning, made their first appearance in our hemisphere between 

 2 and 3 o'clock, but I did not notice them until about 5 o'clock. From 

 the vast number and brightness of the meteors, the sight was, at that 

 time, indescribably beautiful. Their general course was from the 

 southeast to the northwest, most of them appearing to the southwest 

 of our zenith. They first came into view 20 or 30 degrees to the 

 east of our celestial meridian, and extended their flight 40 or 60 degrees 

 to the west of it. Their general motion was probably horizontal, al- 

 though, from the position of the observer, they seemed to fall. 

 Their path was marked by a train of light which was most brilliant 

 near the point of their disappearance, continuing from 3 to 7 or 8 

 seconds, and sprinkling the heavens with long, bright dashes of light, 

 resembling in their form the marks made on the window, by the first 

 drops of a shower driven against the glass. The color of the hght 

 was generally a pure white, but sometimes tinged with a reddish hue ; 

 and so great was the number and frequency of the meteors, as to illu- 

 minate the night sensibly, though slightly. The average flight of 

 each ball was over an arc of 50 degrees. The phenomenon was 

 the most brilliant to the south and west of Lynchburgh, at an eleva- 

 tion of from 30 to 60 degrees. The meteors vanished from sight 

 without a visible or audible explosion, and for the most part without 

 scintillations. 



No appearance of the Aurora Borealis was observed, nor the 

 slightest vapor of any kind. The air continued as on the evening be- 

 fore, entirely pellucid. 



At half past 6 o'clock, the thermometer stood at 54 degrees. Far. ; 

 the barometer at 29 inches and 4 tenths, and the hygrometer about 



