I838.J, 



Periodic Meteors, or supposed Asteroids^ 



2d. — Notices concerning the Periodic Meteors, or supposed Asteroids, 



l.— On the Meteoric Showers of November 1836.— By Denison Olmsted, 

 Professor of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy in Yale College.* 



For six years in succession, there has been observed, on or about 

 the 13th of November of each year, a remarkable exhibition of 

 shooting stars, which has received the name of the " Meteoric 

 Shower/' 



In 1831 the phenomenon was observed in the State of Ohio,t and 

 in the Mediterranean, off the coast of Spain4 In 1832, the shower 

 appeared in a more imposing form, and was seen at Mocha, in Ara- 

 bia ;11 in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean ;§ and near Orenburg, in 

 Russia;^ and at Pernambuco, in South America.** The magnificent 

 meteoric shower of 1833, is too well known to require the recital of 

 any particulars. Of the recurrence of the phenomenon at the corres- 

 ponding period in 1834, and in 1835, evidence has been presented to 

 the public in previous numbers of this Journal. (See vols, xxvii. pp. 

 339, and 417; xxix. 168). I now feel authorized to assert, that the 

 metoric shower reappeared on the morning of the 13</i November 1836. 



It has been supposed by some, that the appearance of an extraordi- 

 nary number of shooting stars, at several anniversaries since the great 

 phenomenon of November 1833, can be accounted for by the fact, that 

 so general an expectation of such an event has been excited, and that 

 so many persons have been on the watch for it. Having, however, 

 been much in the habit of observing phenomena of this kind, I can 

 truly say, that those exhibitions of shooting stars which have for 

 several years occurred on the 13th or 14th of November, are charac- 

 terized by several peculiarities, which clearly distinguish them from 

 ordinary shooting stars. Such peculiarities are the following : 



1. The number of meteors, though exceedingly variable, is much 

 greater than usual, especially of the larger and brighter kinds. 



2. An uncommonly large proportion leave luminous trains. 



3. The meteors, with few^ exceptions, all appear to proceed from a 

 common centre, the position of which has been uniformly in nearly 

 ^the same point in the heavens, viz. in some part of the constellation 

 Leo. 



* Silliman's Journal, vol. xxxi, p. 386, + Amer. Journal of Science, vol. xxviii. p. 419. 

 X Bibliotheque Universelle, Sept. 1835. || Amer. Journ. xxvi p. 136. 

 \ Edin. New Phil. Journ. July I836. fT Ibid. 349. 



** New York Ameiican, Nov. Ifi, iSoO, 



