and on Shooting Stars in general. 229 



the main body, and this finally divided into a large number of 

 fragments. We have, perhaps, no means of forming any precise 

 estimate of its density, yet it is doubtful whether it exceeded that 

 of atmospheric air. The light was, without doubt, produced by 

 combustion. The meteor, by rapid motion through the upper 

 regions of the air, generated heat sufficient to set itself on fire, 

 and it was probably entirely consumed in the space of ten seconds. 

 Nothing is learned to have fallen to the earth from the meteor, 

 as would probably have been the case if its density had not been 

 exceedingly feeble. Moreover, the appearances were those of a 

 body entirely consumed by combustion. But a body, three quar- 

 ters of a mile in diameter, entirely consumed in ten seconds, 

 must be supposed exceedingly combustible and of very feeble 

 density. 



One of the points respecting which I solicited information, in 

 my communication through the Cleveland papers, was, whether 

 any noise attended the meteor. To this question most observers 

 replied decidedly in the negative. Two persons only represent 

 that they heard a noise. One observer in Ohio, states that his 

 'attention was attracted by the light, and a whizzing noise resemb- 

 ling the burning of a slow match of powder ; and an observer in 

 the State of New York, states the same fact. Now it would be 

 altogether superfluous to give reasons for doubting the fact as thus 

 stated, yet it is demonstrable that if such a noise was heard, it did 

 not proceed from the meteor. At its nearest approach, the meteor 

 was one hundred and sixty two miles distant from the first observer, 

 and seventy six miles from the second. At the latter place, then, 

 supposing, for simplicity, sound to travel at the same rate in rarefied 

 as in dense air, the sound, if any, should have been heard about 

 six minutes after the disappearance of the meteor, and at the for- 

 mer place more than twelve minutes. There was little opportunity 

 therefore for one's attention to be attracted to the meteor by a 

 whizzing noise proceeding from it. The noise alledged existed 

 doubtless solely in the imagination. I by no means pronounce it 

 impossible that sound may have come from the meteor ; but if 

 a report did follow, it would come after so long an interval, that 

 few would think of attributing it to the meteor. 



Let us now compare the direction of the meteor's path with 

 that of the earth in its orbit. The point in space towards which 

 the earth is moving is of course in the ecliptic, and nearly 90*^ 

 west of the sun. At the time in question, it was about eight 



