1843.] A Companion to the Moon Table. 235 



at Babylon in March 701, B. C. becomes 20d. 6h. 38m.; hence, to 

 have been visible, the Eclipse must have happened at sun-set. 



Required the day of full moon in March 1720, B. C? The moon 

 table gives at once 24d. lOh. a. m., and applying the Equations from 

 the Companion, we find 24d. 7h. p. m. and 3h. for diff. of long, gives 

 at Babylon 24d. lOh. p. m. It is therefore altogether a mistake to 

 say, as is said in Rush ton's work, that an Eclipse of the moon could 

 have occurred on the 19th of March, 1720 B. C. Even had the date 

 been correct, the moon was upwards of 65° from the node when full 

 in March 1720 B. C, when of course an Eclipse was out of all 

 possibility. 



It is obvious that these tables may be useful in many cases to 

 nautical men, who have occasion to know the time of high water 

 at a port. They may be useful also to the traveller, who wishes to 

 know when he will have moonlight. Europeans, who have occasion 

 to know the common native date may find them of good use. 

 Perhaps also the Joshis may find them useful in making their 

 Almanacs, as the Companion with its principal will shew what 

 <^f% are ^jq- and what are ^Jff^fcfi more correctly, and with vastly 

 less trouble than the methods now in use. 



November, 1841. 



Account of a luminous Meteor seen at Charka, lat. 24° 06', long. 8 1 ° 02. 

 on the morning of the Wth April 1842, By Capt. Shortrede, 

 1st Assistant G. T. Survey. 



A little before 4 o'clock this morning, I saw a meteor of a singular 

 appearance, of which the following is an account : — 



I was lying awake outside my tent, and about a minute or two be- 

 fore had closed my eyes, intending to have a short sleep before marching, 

 when my attention was roused by some brilliant light before me. On 

 opening my eyes, I saw a meteor having very much the appearance of 

 a rocket: it was situated in the constellation Scorpio, having its mid- 

 dle about 10° to the westward of Antares, and pointing towards the 

 constellation Corvus, the lower star of which was about 4° above the 

 horizon. The meteor was about 10° or 20° long, and equally bright 



