238 Shooting Stars of Nov. 14th, 1867. 
: Mass of Meteor, in grains. 
Light of Meteor. A. B. B, 
10 Jupiter a= 2533° 108°6 8114 
Jupiter 253°3 10°86 0°811 
Sirius 162°0 6°99 522 
iat shag, star <2 ules sack 21°6 0°929 069 
Cd Inkg. B0AF 2a = 7°43 318 024 
SG thie wars Oo sos 2s 3°71 159 012 
4th mag. star __..._-- ames 2°21 095 007 
5th mag. star... 22240222 1°46 0°063 0°005 
“Tt is almost certain that the masses given in column C are 
too small, because, in order to obtain thém, it would be neces- 
sary that the whole mechanical force of the meteor should be 
converted into light, without any obscure heat whatever. Un- 
der the circumstances such a result seems impossible. On the 
other hand, the masses given in column A are probably -too 
large, because meteors burn at an immensely higher tempera- 
ture than coal gas. The temperature at which the Drummond 
light is produced is among the highest attainable on the sur- 
face of the earth by any known process, and it probably ap- 
proaches more nearly to that of the meteors than any other ar- 
tificial means of illuminati 
may fairly adopt the numbers given in column B as tolerable 
approximations to the actual masses of these meteors. 
“Tt will not escape notice that all the larger meteors leave 
ce eee 
trains behind them, and as the light of these trains is not taken 
account of in the formula given above, the masses, just found, 
should in strictness, be slightly increased ; but the uncertainty 
in estimating the brightness is so great that the small error thus 
introduced is scarcely worthy of mention. Finally, notwith- | 
standing all the uncertainty to: which the method here em- | 
ployed is liable, yet it would seem that we may reasonably con- ‘i 
clude that the mass of ordinary shooting stars does not difer | 
greatly from one grain.” * 
Prof, Eastman locates the radiant (by means of recorded 
paths), at R. A. 1484°, Dec. +223°. 
Up to 16" 37™, one thousand meteors were counted, four . 
observers being engaged a part of the time, and two the other | 
part. From this time successive hundreds were counted by | 
four se ag in the following intervals; viz., 4™, 5" 30s, 5" 35%, 
45s, 9m 2s, 9m 375, 10™ 31s, and 18m 20s 
ie 
red. In several instances the middle of the train was greeD, 
* The cloud left behind by the larger meteors fill eee re 
The mass of the meteor must be sufficient to ere 
- 1h, a mined. gp. A. N- 
* 
