426 Magnificent Meteor seen on the 27th of November, 1862. 



was lessened by that of the meteor ; and I have little hesitation. 

 in saying that if a transit had occurred the meteor would have 

 been seen as a bright body on the moon. There were no 

 coloured balls seen to fall from its head, but a train of red 

 sparks was left in its path. 



cc Had its path been continued backwards, it would pass about 

 midway between the moon and the planet Mars ; and if a line 

 touching the horns of the moon and produced till it intersected 

 the path of the meteor, it would have been nearly at right 

 angles with it." 



It will thus be seen that near Dover the meteor first came 

 into view at the point where it disappeared at Grantham ; that 

 it was white instead of blue; that it was not nearly so large, but 

 apparently quite as bright, and that no coloured balls fell from 

 its head. 



The Rev. John Burdor saw the formation of the meteor from 

 English Bicknor, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire ; he 

 saw a stream of sparks for an instant, which gathered, as it 

 were, into the meteor — one or two solitary sparks at first, in- 

 creasing to a stream until the meteor was formed, and then the 

 meteor itself increasing in glory and volume until it vanished. 

 The colour most intense blue. The height above the horizon 

 was guessed to be 60°. 



At Streatham Hill, London, it had the appearance of being 

 in a state of incandescence, surpassing the electric light in 

 brilliancy, if possible. It disappeared without any apparent ex- 

 plosion about 5° beyond, where it became invisible at Grantham. 



At Sutton Courtney, near Abingdon, Mr. John Kent says 

 there was a slight explosion similar to that of a percussion-cap, 

 and this attracted his attention to it; he considered it remark- 

 able how suddenly it disappeared, there being apparently no 

 obstacle to hide it. Mr. J. Seeley, who saw it from Hazeby 

 Heath, Hants, was also struck with the suddenness of its dis- 

 appearance. 



At Bridport, in Dorset, Mr. Charles Walker saw it rise in the 

 N.E., move horizontally, and disappear in S.E. We estimated 

 its greatest height at about 20° ; its shape conical, with a cir- 

 cular base, the latter moving foremost. The apparent length 

 was rather greater than the diameter of the full moon, and 

 the greatest breadth about half its length. 



Mr. Philip Barrington saw the meteor from near Bray, 

 county Wicklow. It appeared almost due E., and moved 

 rapidly to about due S.E., lasting only a few seconds. It 

 seemed about four times the diameter of the moon in length, and 

 half its diameter in breadth at the head, tapering down to the 

 extremity of the tail. It moved nearly horizontally at an alti- 

 tude of 5° or 6\ A number of sparks were left behind in its 



