260 REYNOLDS : RECORD OF A REMARKABLE SHOOTING STAR. 
the most accurate. These two stations being remarkably well placed 
for comparison, we append notes concerning the flight of the meteor 
through the atmosphere at a great altitude between these two places. 
Mr. Backhouse, an experienced observer of this class of phe- 
nomenon, states that the meteor appeared many times brighter than 
Venus, shining at the moment in the south western sky, and thus 
most favourably placed for comparison with the fireball as seen from 
Sunderland. There was little or no train seen from this point of 
observation, but this is accounted for by the fact that the place was 
" brilliantly lighted up with gas, the sky hazy, and the atmosphere 
of the town smoky," all being items which would help to obscure any 
appendage. Yet Mr. Backhouse describes it as one of the brightest 
meteors which he has ever recorded. 
The point of the path first noted at Sunderland was at R.A. 
4h. 55m., Dec. + 43^°, which was at the time in Azimuth 93° and 
and altitude 55°. The meteor appeared to become extinguished at 
R.A. lh. 44m., Dec. + 37°, the Azimuth of which was 118° and 
altitude 25°. The Azimuth is reckoned from the South point west- 
wards in degrees of a great circle. 
Miss H. S. Lean, Wigton, also saw and recorded the meteor, and 
describes its path as appearing from her station to be from the S.E. 
to X.E. at an altitude of about 40° ; finishing its track a few degrees 
past and below the tail of the Great Bear, the flight lasting about 2^- 
seconds. The meteor had a long train of light, and the last that 
was seen of it was a red glow near the place of its extinction. 
Mr. R. Reynolds, Leeds, appears from his description to have got 
the true direction of the track of the fireball. From this station it 
seemed to move from the N.E. to the N. quarter of the heavens, 
being, according to the description of the observer, ' projected upon 
a starless sky.' It would seem that Mr. Reynolds saw an earlier part 
of the track of the meteor than the "Wigton and Sunderland observa- 
tions shew. Mr. Backhouse only saw a later portion of the flight, as, 
he reports, that an observer in the Northern suburb of Sunderland 
saw it begin from his station in the E.S.E. This commencement 
thus agrees with that of Mr. Reynolds. But further confirmation 
and an accurate description carefully made instrumentally, would 
