668 THE METEORS OF OCTOBER, 1877. 



tually exist in space, and show what avast, rich field there is liere for obser- 

 vation and investigation. There are not only great numbers of individual 

 shooting stars, but also great numbers of systems to which they belong. My 

 October observations alone were sufficient to clearly prove the radiant 

 points of 47 such systems, and about twenty others were less certainly indica- 

 ted, and it must be remembered that nearly all my observations were direct- 

 ed towards the IS. W. and IST. E. sky, so that many showers from the S. and 

 S. W. altogether escaped me. 



On very reasonable grounds it may be accej^ted that at least 100 sepa- 

 rate and distinct meteor systems were actually in play during the first 20 

 days in October ! Chief of them all was the well known shower of Orio- 

 nids from which I saw about 57 meteors between the 14th and 19th in the 

 morning sky, and I observed many other well marked and tolerably active 

 showers of which the most important apparently are noted in the following 

 table : — 



CHIEF METEOR SHOWERS PROM OCTOBER 1-20, 1877. 



Radiant point. 

 No. R. A. Dec. N. No. of Meteors 



o o observed Notes. 



1. 92 15 57 The Orionids. 



2. 105 50 15 A new shower in the Lynx. 



3. 133 79 22 From Comet ii, 1825. Eadiant 134°+ 



77 Oct. 7, (A. S. Herschel). 



4. 225 52 10 A new shower chiefly Oct. 2. 



5. 133 21 • 18 In Cancer, seen before -sunrise. 



6. 103 12 22 Active showers seen also in Sept. 



and November. 



7. 115 29 13 The Gemellids seen also in Nov. 



8. 84 55 18 The Aurigids '• " Sept. 



9. 108 38 16 A marked shower N. of Alpha Gremi- 



norum. 

 10. 310 77 17 An active shower, chiefly Oct. 2-5. 



No. 2 in this table has been continued during the present month of Nov., 

 and altogether I have 37 meteors from it. It is extremely probable that this 

 well-marked radiant has only come actively into play during the last two or 

 three years, and it will be important to re-observe it in future years. Prof. 

 Herschel recently said that " Great interest is attached to accurate observa- 

 tions of the course of meteors, for the determination of a meteor orbit ranks 

 in Astronomy witli tiie discovery of a planet." This ought to encourage 

 observation among those who have the ojDportunity and the desire. No in- 

 struments are required to be employed, but the work is, it is true, none the 

 less tedious and difiicult on that account. Night after night, month after 

 month, year after j'ear, the sky must be watched, and every shooting-star 

 recorded as it falls ! The Avork is one in which much patience and effort are 

 required. To stand watching the skj' 3 or 4 hours on a cold winter's night , 

 with perhaps meagre results, must often prove a wearisome, monotonous un- 



