On the Shooting Stars of August 9th and 10th, 1837. 177 
“Shooting Stars—On Wednesday night the 9th, a considerable 
display of this kind took place in the heavens. For several hours 
from one to a dozen could be constantly seen shooting towards every 
point of the compass at various anéles, and often horizontally. In 
many cases they were very near the earth, representing a mere 
spark, and shooting with great velocity, and again they were in ap- 
pearance equal to stars of the largest magnitude, leaving a long 
train after them, which was sometimes visible for two minutes. 
Most of them were of a yellowish or flame color, but we noticed 
one of the very largest size of a deep red, which moved off slowly 
and majestically with a brilliant train. We noticed them from 1 to 
3 o'clock, but we are told they commenced early in the night.” 
On the probable periodicity of the meteoric shower of August 9th 
and 10th. 
In Prof. Loomis’s article on shooting stars, (vol. xxviii, p. 95, of 
this Journal,) in which he gives an abstract of observations made in 
Germany from April to Oct. 1823, by Prof. Brandes and his associ- 
ates, it is stated that on August 10th, 1828, “ one hundred and forty 
shooting stars were noted in less than two hours,”’ besides many which 
were of necessity left unrecorded. ‘The near coincidence of this date 
with that of the display of this year at once suggested to me the 
possibility of its periodical nature, and incited me to an examination 
of such sources of information as could be readily obtained. I have 
had neither the time nor the means necessary for making a very ex- 
tensive exploration, but as the facts which even this hasty search 
has brought to light are of much interest, I think best to make them 
public without delay. ‘Those who have access to extensive libraries 
will I trust, push the inquiry farther.* 
These facts appear to me sufficient to render highly probable the 
pertodical occurrence of an unusually large number of shooting stars 
on or about the 9th of August. ‘The particulars of the evidence are 
the following. 
* Many works which would probably throw light on the subject are beyond my 
reach; e. g. various volumes of Gilbert’s Annalen der Physik; Quetelet in Bib. Univ. 
de Genéve, Mars, 1837.—Analyst, August, 1834. Dodsley’s Annual Register for 
1783, p. 214, speaking of two meteorites seen August 18th, 1783, says, “ The phe- 
nomenon which appeared in 1716, and continued from 8 P. M. till 3 in the morn- 
ing was like the present, not local, &c.” Was this a shower of shooting stars ? 
Vou. XXXIII.—No. 1. aa 
