144 On the Meteors of 13th November, 1838. 
a fact which is indicated, indeed, by the observation itself; for, in 
twenty minutes, the radiant moved easterly two degrees in right as- 
cension, while the earth in the same time must have moved five de- 
grees. ‘This easterly motion, moreover, must have considerably in- 
creased the duration of the phenomenon. Now had the cloud been 
near the earth, or within its atmosphere, its apparent as well as real 
progress, would have been from N.W. to 8S. E.; and this would 
have been the line of direction on the eastern limits, whereas that 
line appears to have been from N. E. to S. W. 
2. The height of the place whence the Meteors emanated, above 
the surface of the earth, was about 2238 miles. 
The R. Ascension and Declination of the radiant point, having 
been observed by Dr. Aiken, at Emmittsburg, (Md.) by Mr. Riddell, 
at Worthington, (Ohio,) and by myself at New Haven, we hoped to 
be able to obtain data for a satisfactory estimate of the height. But 
the observations present singular anomalies, especially in respect to 
the R. Ascension. As the observations were made without the use 
of instruments, none of them can be supposed to have been entirely 
accurate. Although, after making the observations, I had immediate 
recourse to a celestial globe of the best construction, and marked the 
spot with as much accuracy as I could, yet as the light of day was 
advancing at the time of making the observation, and as the lines of 
direction could not be traced back to the center of radiation, but on- 
ly to the vicinity of that center, I cannot rely on my own observa- 
tions as accurate, to less than half a degree. Mr. Riddell had the 
advantage of a celestial map before him at the time; but having no 
. other aid to the eye, he can hardly be supposed to have been much 
more accurate, if at all. Dr. Aiken, resorted to a celestial globe, 
soon after observing the point in question, and marked its position 
with a pencil. He remarks, (in a letter recently received,) that its 
declination must have been at least 24° 30’, unless the globe which 
he used was inaccurate; and to enable me to judge of this, he gives 
the R. Ascension and Declination of several of the neighboring stars 
as indicated by the same globe. On comparing these elements with 
those given by one of Carey’s best globes, I find the dec. of Gamma 
Leonis to be 45’ less than that stated by Dr. Aiken. Hence, deduct- 
ing 45/ from 24° 30’, we have 23° 45/, as the true observed dec. at 
lat. 39° 40’. The dec. observed at Worthington, lat. 40° 4’, was 
21° 30’, and at New Haven, lat. 41° 18’, it was 20°.* 
* Not 21° as before stated by miStake. In the original article published on the 
same day of the occurrence, it was given at 20°. 
