ON LUMINOUS METEORS. S3 



On the Nature of falling Sfars and thfi hrgf> Meteors^ in 

 Answer to Mr. JoHN Farey, Senior, In a Letter from 

 Mr. G.J. Singer. 



To W. NICHOLSON, Esq. 

 SIR, 



Jl he appearance of a second communication from your Mr. Farcy's 

 correspondent, Mr. Farey, on the nature of falline stars*, hypothesis of 



. n' n \ 1 . • 1 • , falling stars. 



leads roe to oner a tew observations on that subject, which 



would have followed his hrbt paper, had not the obviously 

 hypothetical nature of his suggestion appeared lo render 

 any remark unnecessary. 



Mr. Farey notices the electrical nature of these appear- 

 ances, and their frequent occurrence in *' clear frosty nights,** 

 and the clear intervals of <' showery weather f:" and ob^ 

 serving that such '• states of the air are best adapted, by its 

 «* clearness, for seeing the smaller stars and planets," 

 supposes *' that these phenomena are occasioned by an al- 

 <' most infinite number of satellitulte, or very small moons, 

 « constantly revolving round the Earth, in all possible di- 

 ** rections, and appearing only during the very short time 

 «« that they dip into the upper part of the atmosphere each 

 " time they are in perigee : and that no step seeras wanting 

 " in the degree of this dip into the atmosphere, and their 

 ** consequent brightness, length, and slowness of courses, 

 ** &c., between the smallest instantaneous shooting stars, 

 ^« and the largest meteors, (such as that of August, 

 «• 1783.") 



This is the substance of Mr. Farey*s first communica- His assump. 



tion ; and apparently amounts to an assumption, that the J'°." °^ ^^^}^ 



,',.,., . . being exphca- 



phenomena may be explained without electricity ; if zt be ble without 



admitted^ that clear weather and the absence of twilight^ tleciricitf. 



moonlightf &c., are essential for their observance : aud that 



• Journal, vol XXXII, p. 269. 

 t lb. vol. XXX, p 285. 



Vol. XXXIII — Sept. 1812. D plan«tary 



