SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
307 
in appearance, then the colour became red, and lastly was vivid green. All 
along its track fiery ashes fell towards the earth, and after the extinction of 
the principal part, a body of dark-red sparks continued to fall for a short 
distance, as seen by Mr. Davis, at Tetbury. Lady Portsmouth, driving near 
Basingstoke, 90 miles from the meteor, and facing west, “was startled by 
what appeared to be blue or bluish-green lights .falling apparently in large 
flakes into a field on her left. Some seconds after, while the whole country 
was lighted up as if by the brightest possible lightning, a large red ball was 
seen travelling with comparative slowness on the right over a field, into 
which it appeared to fall.” From Waterford the meteor was seen to be 
double, one part closely following the other. This duplicity is not reported 
from any other place. The meteor left little or no streak, and did not deto- 
nate, for several of the observers state that they listened for any noise. 
Captain Tupman mentions as a curious instance of inaccuracy that a certain 
person writing over the signature “ J. M. W.” in the “ Times,” describes the 
meteor “as two-thirds of the size of the moon when overhead .” At first 
this was supposed to mean that the meteor, when overhead, so appeared ; 
and Captain Tupman noted that the meteor was never in reality within 65° 
of the zenith of London. But it was explained that “ J. M. W.” meant that 
the meteor was two-thirds of the size of the moon when she is overhead — a 
curious double error, seeing that the moon never is overhead in London, and 
that her size when at her highest is not different, so far as ordinary naked 
eye observation is concerned, from her size when near the horizon. But how 
can the general public be expected to be accurate when we find in a text- 
book of astronomy, by a well-known author, such blunders as the statement 
that the stars which pass overhead in London rise and set on a slant — the 
truth being that they never come within 13° of the horizon ? 
New Comets . — On April 6, Professor Winnecke, of the Imperial Observa- 
tory at Strasburg, announced the discovery of a new and rather bright 
comet. He soon after published the following elements, side by side with 
which we set Hind’s later and doubtless more correct result : — 
Perihelion Passage 
Longitude of perihelion 
Ascending node . 
Inclination 
Perihelion . 
Motion 
Wknecke, 
April 18-1741 (Berlin Time) 
. 251° 59' 57" 
. 317° 5P-18" 
. 56° 42' 42" 
0-92824 
. Retrograde 
Hind. 
April 17-64887 (G.M.T.) 
253° 30' 9" 
316° 33' 53" 
58° 54' 22" 
0-950250 
Retrograde 
Another new comet, muck fainter, was discovered by M. Borelly, on the 
evening of April 14, in R.A. 16° 3F j N.P.D. 34° 56' ; daily motion in 
R.A. + 120', in N.P.D. - 50'. 
Phenomena for the Quarter. — Jupiter, which was in opposition on June 19, 
will reach his second station on Aug. 20, and quadrature on Sept. 17. Mars 
will pass his first station on Aug. 17, perihelion on Aug. 21, and be in 
opposition on Sept. 5, midnight. Saturn will be in opposition on Sept. 9, 
two p.m. Neptune on quadrature on July 30, and stationary Aug. 10, will 
thence pass to opposition on Oct. 28. 
