36 



ON LUMINOUS METEORS. 



and the occurrence of such an appearance as an sttenclant on 

 rapid motion may be consistently accounted for without re- 

 ference to optical illusion. 

 Nature of In the present state of our knowledge it is certain no po- 



these bodies gj^^yg conclusion relative to the nature of meteors is warrant- 

 not yet (.Icar. , li- 

 able ; but, in the absence of precise and accurate views, 



that explanation should be preferred, which is most exten- 

 sively applicable to the known peculiarities of their appearance. 

 The large me- The larger progressive meteors are, 1 think, at present 

 *^°"' perfectly mysterious. They are certainly not connected 



with any of the obvious phenomena of electricity ; and the 

 chemical character of the stones that have fallen when they 

 have appeared hq.s been adduced as a proof, that they are 

 *' travellers from another planet." The uniformity of their 

 composition appears however to render it probable, that they 

 are always derived from the same source, and their hght is 

 in all probability the light of combustion. 

 Arguments for Falling stars are evidently a more simple phenomenon. 



the smaller The arguments in favour of their electrical origin are nu- 



being electn- *' . . ° 



cal. merous, as will be apparent from the following summary of 



the principal facts. 



1 St. Their light is similar to the light of the electric spark. 



2d. Their motion, like that of electricity, is inconceiv- 

 ably rapid, 



3d. They occur as frequently as other electric changes in 

 the atmosphere. 



4th. Their occurrence is most frequent after such changes 

 of weather, as are known to influence the electripal state 

 of the atmosphere. 



5th. Their direction is never constant ; they move verti- 

 cally, horizontally, and at various degrees of inclination, in 

 all parts of the atmosphere; such is also the case with 

 lightning. 



6th. The appearance of falling stars may be accurately 



imitated by electricity ; and the circumstances on which 



the success of such experiments depend are such as are 



likely to occur in the production of the natural phenomenon. 



Objections to ^^ more powerful evidence can be adduced in support of 



the planetary the planetary hypothesis, it may he intitled to consideration : 



hypothesis. , .' . /! • • • 



in Its present state it is mere conjecture ; and, as opposed to 



facts 



