20 ON THE ORBIT AND PHENOMENA 



tion was near 50°" — that it exploded at an altitude of 30° to 40°, and that it dis- 

 appeared S. 46° or 47° E., at an altitude of 4i° to 5°} 



Morristowny New Jersey, Nos. 138, 196, 204, and 209. No. 138 was observed 

 by Dr. Rust, and the position estimated by the " card method" by himself and Mr. 



B. Harrison, by the latter of whom it was kindly communicated to the author. The 

 others were observed by Prof Quimby, of Rochester University, and communicated 

 to Dr^ B. A. Gould, of Cambridge, by whom they were furnished to the author. 

 Prof Quimby reports 35° as its greatest altitude, 20° as its altitude at the time of 

 exploding,^ and that it passed just above Cassiopeia. This latter gives the position 

 No. 209. 



Nantmhet, Massachusetts, Nos. 39, 41, 105, 151, 152, 197, 199, 228, and 230. 

 Communicated by Hon. William Mitchell, from observations made by others. The 

 following is an extract from his letter : — 



" I regret extremely that I could not have seen the interesting meteor of July 

 20th. If I had seen it myself, I am persuaded I could have given reliable locali- 

 ties. In collecting Avhat I have, I confess I am astonished at the absurdity of the 

 results. I send them, however, just as they are, in the hope that soynetJmig maj he 

 gathered from them. ***** The directions were obtained by William 



C. Folger, Esq., an excellent surveyor ; the angles were obtained by myself at the 

 same time, by placing a sector on the compass, made perfectly level, the observer 

 opening it until the estimated position of the meteor was seen in the direction and 

 along the upper edge of the elevated leg of the sector." " All observers agree 

 that it divided after they first saw it, and the mean of the estimated size is one- 

 third of the moon's disk; and the time 10 o'clock.^ Every observation was within 

 1500 feet of my observatory, whose Lon. is 70° 6', and Lat. 41° 16' 53.3"." 



No. 39 was observed by George Clark, Esq., No. 41 by Lucy Starbuck, No. 105 

 by Rebecca Clapp, Nos. 151, 197, and 230 by Asa G. Bunker, Esq., and Nos. 152, 

 199, and 228 by Peter Folger, Esq. 



Neioarh, New Jersey, Lat. 40° 45', Lon. 74° 10'. Reported time 9h. 45m.* 

 " Visible about half a minute." 



New Bedford, Massachusetts, No. 224. An account of the meteor, published in 

 the New Bedford Mercury, says that " it appeared to pass in a direction nearly 

 parallel with the horizon, at an elevation of ,34° or 35°," time 9h. 57m.'' In a note 



* Accordino- to tbe calculated path, the meteor passed tlie meridian of Mont Clair at an altitude of 

 50° 39' • but if by the words, " at right angles to his position," the observer intends to designate the 

 point where a line drawn from his eye would intersect the meteor's path at right angles, the altitude 

 at that point was over 53°, as shown in the table (No. 96). The calculated altitude, at the first ex- 

 plosion, is less than 30°, and at the second over 50°. The azimuth S. 46° or 41° E., is much too 

 southerly for any point in the calculated path. 



^ According to the calculated path, the greatest altitude, and the altitude at the time of the 

 second explosion, were botli over 45°. The first explosion occurred before the meteor was seen by 

 Prof. Quimby. 



3 Time of meridian passage, by calculation, lOh. 3m. 55 sec. 



* Calculated time of meridian passage, 9h. 4'Zm, 12 sec. 



* Calculated time of meridian passage, lOh. Om. 30 sec. 



