33 
crossing the earth’s orbit from within outwards, and that 
their aphelion distance is very sensibly greater than the 
earth’s radius vector on the 13th of November. 
The velocity of the earth in its orbit on the 13th of No- 
vember is 18*38 miles per second, and the velocity of the 
November meteors when they enter the earth’s atmosphere 
has been found to be 40 miles per second. With these data 
and the latitude of the radiant point as given above, 9° 54*5' 
N., we find that the inclination of the orbit of the mass of 
meteors to the plane of the ecliptic is 17° 59', and that their 
orbital velocity at the time they encounter the earth is 
22*31 miles per second. The excess of this velocity over 
that due to their distance from the sun arises, in part at 
least, from the accelerating effect of the earth’s attraction. 
An attempt was made to estimate roughly the relative 
numbers of meteors of different magnitudes, and it was 
found that they occurred in about the following propor- 
tions : — 
Out of every 100 meteors, 10 were above the 1st mag.; the 
brightest of these were 2 to 3 times brighter than Sirius; 
15 were 
between the 1st and 2nd mag. 
25 
„ 2nd and 3rd mag. 
30 
3rd and 4th mag. 
15 
„ 4th and 5th mag. 
5 were below the 5th mag. 
The average magnitude was 3*0. 
The trains left by many of the larger meteors had a 
beautiful emerald green colour, others were of an ashy grey, 
and the remainder white. The meteors themselves were 
mostly white or bluish white, but many were of a fine 
golden colour. 
In order to give some idea of the great velocity with 
which the meteors enter the earth’s atmosphere it may be 
remarked that it would be sufficient to carry a body through 
the entire circuit of the earth in an interval of less than ten 
and a half minutes. 
