Some late fiery Meteors. 2og 
chaye been ufed in the defcription of former meteors. The 
luminous fubftance was compared to burning brimftone or {pi- 
_rits, Chinefe fire, the ftars of a rocket, a pellucid ball or bub- 
ble of fire, liquid pearl, lightning and eletrical fire; few 
perfons fancied it-to be folid, efpecially when it came near the 
zenith. Different {peCtators obferved the light of the meteor 
to fuffer at times a fudden diminution and revival, which pro- 
_duced an appearance as of fucceflive inflammation ; but might, 
-in fome cafes at leaft, be owing to the interpofition of {mall 
clouds in its path. : 
§ 5. When, in confequence of a more accurate attention 
to natural philofophy, fuch obfervations were firft made upon 
-fire-balls as determined their height, the computers were with 
reafon furprifed to find them moving in a region fo far above 
-that of the clouds and other familiar meteors of our atmo- 
{phere ; efpecially as to every uninformed {pectator they appear 
extremely near, or as if burfting over his head, a natural 
effect of their great light when feen without imtervening -ob- 
jects. The real height is to be collected from obfervations. 
-made at diftant flations, which, for the greateft accuracy, 
- ought to be fo fituated, that the line joining them may cut the 
-path of the meteor at right-angles, and that, at its greateft 
‘elevation, it may appear from both of them about 45° above 
the horizon, on oppofite fides of the zenith. Alfo two ftations 
on the fame fide of its path, if the leaft angle of elevation be 
-mot very {mall, and the difference between that and the greateft 
angle be confiderable, are by’ no means to be rejected. But 
little reliance can be placed upon obfervations of a meteor’s 
altitude at any fuppofed period of its courfe, fuch as the mo- 
ment of its burfting ; becaufe thofe changes are feldom fo in- 
Vor. LXXIV. ec {tantaneous, 
