208 Dr: BLAGDEN’s Account of 
fufficient to render very minute objets vifible upon the ground 
in the darkeft night, and larger ones to the diftance of many 
miles from the eye. The illumination is often fo great as 
totally to obliterate the ftars, to make the moon look dull, and 
even to affect the {peCtators like the fun itfelf; may, there are 
many inftances in which fuch meteors have made a fplendid 
appearance in full fun-fhine. ‘The colour of their light is 
various and changeable, but generally of a bluith caft, which 
makes it appear remarkably white. A curious effect of this 
was obferved at Bruffels the 18th of Auguft, that whilft the 
meteor was pafling, ‘¢ the moon appeared quite red, but foon 
«< recovered its natural light *.” . The brightnefs alone of the 
meteor is not fufficient to explain this, for the moon does not 
appear red when feen by day; but it muft have depended on the 
the contraft of colour, and fhews how large a ‘proportion of 
blue rays enters into the compofition of that-light, which 
could make even the f/ver moon appear to have excefs of redi 
Prifmatic colours were alfo obferved im the body, tail, and 
fparks of this meteor, varioufly by different perfons; fome 
compared them to the hues ‘of gems. The moment of its 
greateft brightnefs feems te have been when it burft the firft 
time; but it continued Jong to be more luminous after that 
period, than at was before. | 
The body of the fire=ball, even before it burft, -did ‘not ap- 
pear of an uniform fubftance ‘or: brightnefs, but’ confifted of 
lucid and .dull parts, which were perpetually changing their 
re{pective pofitions; fo that the whole effeét was to dome eyes 
like an internal agitation or boiling of the matter,) and. to 
thers like moving chafms or apertures. Similar expreffions 
" * From a letter of the Abbé Mann’s, Direétor of the Academy at Bruffels, to 
Sir Josepa Banxs, Bart, P. R. S. a 
oi0fha have 
