On the Metcors of 13th November, 1833. 329 
inferred that the radiant did, in fact preserve the same position, nearly, 
among the stars which it afterwards occupied,—as observers not on 
their guard are inclined to overestimate altitudes; but this inference 
is embarrassed by the fact that Capt. Seymour saw the radiant in the 
S. E. whereas Leo, at that time, lay almost due E’; as well as by the 
fact that Capt. S. supposed the radiant not to have moved from theS. E. 
nor to have changed its altitude at six in the morning—an hour when it 
certainly was neartheS. and 68° in alt. ‘The explanation of this might 
be found perhaps to be that at 6 o’clock Capt. S. saw the point above 
the high houses of N. York, whereas before, in Tappan Bay, he had 
a large and unobstructed horizon. On the whole the probability 
that an observer having a clear horizon would estimate 68° to be 45° 
is so small as to make it credible that in this case, the radiant was in 
fact, at some time of the night, seen at a low or medium altitude. 
The observations of Capt. Parker, (Vol. xxv. p. 399.) who 
being in the Gulf of Mexico, Lat. 26° N. Long. 85° 20’ W. saw the 
meteors at three o’clock A. M. confined to the N. E. and saw also 
the radiant 45° high in the due N. E. confirm the same conclusion. 
The point of Leo before alluded to was then, in fact, as seen from that 
spot, 43° 30’ high; but its azimuth, instead of E. 45° N. was only E. 
5° N. making that point 28° distant in the heavens from the radiant. 
This aberration in azimuth would suggest a doubt whether these obser- 
vations, made on the very edge of the shower, can assist our conjectures 
respecting the early positions of the radiant elsewhere, if there were 
not reason to believe on other grounds that the radiant occupied a more 
northerly position in southern latitudes than it did in latitudes farther 
from the equator; while, as we shall see hereafter, the variation in 
right ascension was inconsiderable. 
Mr. Palmer, who viewed the radiant many times between half-past 
two o'clock and morning, is decided in his belief that it neither chang- 
ed in altitude nor azimuth; and although no observations were made 
by him having this question expressly in view, and although it is cer- 
tain that the radiant did move towards morning more than 30° in the 
heavens,—yet if the altitude of the radiant, when first seen, had been 
as low as the constellation Leo, it is inconceivable that so great a 
change of position should not have been perceived. It must also be 
considered that, if the radiant was the vanishing point of parallel 
motions, and if the meteors became Juminous by their entrance into 
the atmosphere, no meteors could be seen while the radiant was 
below the horizon ; and therefore the appearance of the meteors so 
early as 9 o’clock of the preceding evening must dissipate the idea of 
