i6 



November Leonids of 1901. 



REPORT OF OBSERVATIONS MADE BY PROF. F. P. BRACKETT AND ASSIS- 

 TANTS AT POMONA COI,I.EGE, CLAREMONT, CAL, 



Volunteers from the Astronomy Class maintained a systematic watch 

 on the mornings of November 14th, 15th and i6th, from midnight till day- 

 light. The watch was divided into half-hour periods, for each of which two 

 or more observers were responsible. 



On the morning of the 14th, 137 meteors were seen, of which only 57 

 were positively identified as Leonids. 



On the morning of the 15th, 1449 meteors were seen, of which only 

 22 were indentified as not being Leonids. 



A fog on the morning of the i6th precluded observation. 



Of the 1449 meteors observed on the 15th, 1130 were seen in the two 

 hours from 3:30 to 5:30 a. m., being at the rate of 9.4 per minute. 



Between 4:30 and 5 a. m. their frequency amounted almost to a ver- 

 itable shower. During that period 400 meteors were seen — falling at the 

 average rate of one for each 19 seconds, though at some portions of that in- 

 terval several meteors were seen moving across the sky at the same 

 moment. 



About one-quarter of the meteors were of the first magnitude or 

 higher. About half were of the third magnitude or less. 



The prevailing color of those under third magnitude was white, while 

 that of the higher magnitude was orange. A few green and blue ones 

 were seen. 



The length of the path was usually proportional to the magnitude of 

 the meteor. 



Several meteors were seen to burst and scatter. Three left trails 

 which were visible for a long time, one of them about 20 minutes. 



The very excellent, elaborate and painstaking report above epit- 

 omised, covers 38 pages of descriptive and tabular matter, and reflects great 

 credit upon Prof. Brackett and his assistants, Messrs. Ludden, Moles, Ven- 

 huizen, Bert and Reynolds, and Misses Craig, Wolcott and Rice. It is a 

 valuable contribution to meteoric astronomy. Wm. H. Knight. 



