290 



Astronomy. 



IV. ASTRONOMY. 



1. Shooting Stars of August 10, 1856. — During the night of Friday, 

 August 8th, 1856, the weather at New Haven was stormy. The next 

 night on account of the cloudy state of the sky and other obstacles, no 

 observation for meteors was attempted by us. 



On the night of August 10th- 11th, observations were commenced by 

 Messrs. Francis Bradley, Charles Tomlinson and myself. Until about half 

 past one o'clock of Monday morning the sky was clear and favorable. 

 From this time onward, clouds interfered more and more, so that by 2 h 

 50 m a. m. of the 11th we left the field. During the period of observation, 

 about 3 hours and 45 minutes, we noted two hundred and eighty three 

 different shooting stars, as follows : 



ll h 5 m to midn., 



W. N. W. 



21 







N. E. 



12 





U a 



S. 



14 



47 



Midn. to 1 a. m. 11th, 



W. N. W. 



54 





u a 



N. E. 



27 





a a 



S. 



19— 



—100 



1 tO 2 A. M., 



W. N. W. 



31 





u M 



N. E. 



21 





a u 



S. 



21— 



73 



2 to 2 50 m a. m. 



W. N. W. 



23 





a u 



N. E. 



24 





a (( 



S. 



16— 



—63 



In general characteristics these shooting stars resembled those of the 

 August period in former years. The visible paths of a large part of them, 

 if traced back, would meet in the vicinity of the sword-handle of Perseus. 

 Some moved in other directions, and a few appeared to go towards the 

 general radiant. Several of them equalled in brilliancy stars of the first 

 magnitude, and left sparkling trains behind them. 



The present being leap-year, it is probable that the meteors were more 

 numerous on the night of the 9th-10th, than on the night succeeding. 



E. C. Herrick. 



2. Astronomical Observatory at the University of Mississippi, (from a let- 

 ter to the editors dated, University of Mississippi, Oxford, July 19, 1856.) — 

 I think it may interest the scientific world to know, that the Board of Trus- 

 tees of this University have sanctioned the erection of an Astronomical 

 Observatory at this place, and have authorized a contract for a transit cir- 

 cle similar to that introduced by Mr. Airy at Greenwich. Other instru- 

 ments will be supplied hereafter. The building provides for a first-class 

 equatorial telescope. 



On the completion of the circle, regular observations will be instituted 

 and constantly sustained here. An astronomer will be employed, with no 

 other business but to observe. 



It is hoped that Mississippi will now make a beginning — the first ear- 

 nest beginning in the Southern States — to contribute effectually to the 



