Shooting Stars of December 7, 1838. 365 



sit up a!l night and see if there would not be a shower, but under 

 the unfavorable circumstances their hearts failed them." 



3. At Hudson, Ohio, clouded skies prevented observation. 



4. From Savamiah, Ga., Mr. T. R. Button writes: "The en- 

 tire night of the 5th was rainy. On the night of the 6th I made 

 occasional observations from my window, (without seeing more 

 than 2 or 3 meteors,) between llh. and 2h. 30m. when I went 

 into the open air.* From 2h. 30m. to 3, I saw 5 meteors, and 

 from 3h. 15m. to 3h. 30m.j none. The sky was partly covered 

 with broken clouds, yet not enough so to obscure more than a 

 third of the meteors visible ; but soon after it was entirely over- 

 cast. On the evening of the Tth, I made occasional observa- 

 tions as before, until 2h. 55m., when I went into the open air. 

 During 45 minutes I saw 11 meteors, 4 or 5 of which had trains. 

 The sky was partly covered with thin cirrous clouds, — ^the west- 

 ern half, however, afforded a clear field of view. On the night 

 of the 8th, I watched from 3h. 25m. to 3h. 55m. and saw eight 

 meteors." 



Ge7ieral Remarks. 



From the observations made here, it may safely be concluded 

 that for four or five hours, on the evening of the Tth of Decem- 

 ber, 1838, shooting stars appeared at the rate of from 125 to 175 

 per hour. If we compare this with the average which I had pre- 

 viously fixed upon, for this season of the night, (viz. 25 per hour) 

 it results, that on this occasion meteors were about six times as 

 numerous as usual. If we adopt M. Q,uete\et's general average^ 

 of 16 per hour, the number was about nine times the mean. 

 More extensive observations will doubtless change both these 

 averages. No one can however doubt that the displays of the 

 evenings of the 6th and 7th were quite unusual. For several 

 days after this period, meteors were rather more numerous than 

 usual, but by the 15th, the meteoric season appeared to be alto- 

 gether over. 



It is evident that the position of the radiant was at a great re- 

 move from that point in the heavens, towards which the earth 

 was at the time tending ; and it is worthy of notice, that in this 

 respect, and partially in another, the December display resembles 

 that of August. In the November " shower," the radiant is very 



* Shooting stars must always be watched in the open air : observations through 

 a window can not be trusted. 



