) 
H. A. Newton on Shooting Stars. 195 
middle points of paths is about 48°-3, the above numbers give as 
a center of gravity, or center of distribution, a point about 2° 
from the zenith in the direction of §.28°E. We therefore con- 
clude that the relative frequency of occurrence of meteor-paths 
in different parts of the visible heavens is in the main a /une- 
tion of zenith distance only. 
4, Distribution of meteor-paths over the sky in altitude—The law 
distribution of the paths in apparent altitude may be obtained 
directly by observations properly devised for that object. But 
such observations would have to be continued for a considerable 
time, and would involve great labor. I have therefore sought 
fora method of obtaining the approximate law of distribution 
from observations already made for other purposes. 
If the zenith distances of a large number of paths seen by 
one observer were measured or computed, we should find them 
is habits of watching. Thus, one who looked 
8 
puted. For the remainder the place of the zenith was in 
each case computed, and the zenith distance carefully measured 
n'a very good sixteen-inch globe. The number of paths thus 
Computed or measured was 1,393. Of these, 30 were within 10° 
of the zenith, 60 were between 10° and 20° from the zenith, 142 
between 20° and 30°, &c., as in the second column of the follow- 
Ang table 
: Table illustrating the distribution of meteor-paths over the sky. 
Pam No, __No. 
— __meteors. ete Area. Sec3§. Area sec3$. 
0.69 Se | eet 
0 30 01519 1975 1-012 1951 
pogo 04512 1330 1-110 1198 
142 07366 1928 1-343 1456 
197 0999 1970 1°819 1083 
Si 274 12325 2293 2 re re 
52 
60-70 304 14279 2129 a a 
tes 245 15798 1551 
‘ed 110 ‘16837 653 57°68 11 
hed 31 17365 178 {1510 0 
et the area of the visible hemisphere is unity, the numbers in 
Te, third column give the areas of the corresponding zones. 
umber of paths divided by the areas gives quotients pro- 
