20 
ON THE ORBIT AND PHENOMENA 
tion was near 50°”—that it exploded at an altitude of 30° to 40°, and that it dis 
appeared S. 46° or 47° E., at an altitude of 4J° to 5 0 . 1 
Morristown y New Jersey, Nos. 138, 196, 204, and 209. No. 138 was observed 
by Dr. Rust, and the position estimated by the “ card method” by himself and Mr. 
B. Harrison, by the latter of whom it was kindly communicated to the author. The 
others were observed by Prof. Quimby, of Rochester University, and communicated 
to Dr, B. A. Gould, of Cambridge, by whom they were furnished to the author. 
Prof. Quimby reports 35° as its greatest altitude, 20° as its altitude at the time of 
exploding, 1 2 and that it passed just above Cassiopeia. This latter gives the position 
No. 209. 
Nantucket , Massachusetts, Nos. 39, 41, 105, 151, 152, 197, 199, 228, and 230. 
Communicated by Hon. William Mitchell, from observations made by others. The 
following is an extract from his letter:— 
“ I regret extremely that I could not have seen the interesting meteor of July 
20th. If I had seen it myself, I am persuaded I could have given reliable locali 
ties. In collecting what I have, I confess I am astonished at the absurdity of the 
results. I send them, however, just as they are, in the hope that something maybe 
gathered from them. * * * * * The directions were obtained by William 
C. Folger, Esq., an excellent surveyor; the angles were obtained by myself at the 
same time, by placing a sector on the compass, made perfectly level, the observer 
opening it until the estimated position of the meteor was seen in the direction and 
along the upper edge of the elevated leg of the sector.” “ All observers agree 
that it divided after they first saw it, and the mean of the estimated size is one- 
third of the moon’s disk; and the time 10 o’clock. 3 Every observation was within 
1500 feet of my observatory, whose Lon. is 70° 6', and Lat. 41° 16' 53.3”.” 
No. 39 was observed by George Clark, Esq., No. 41 by Lucy Starbuck, No. 105 
by Rebecca Clapp, Nos. 151, 197, and 230 by Asa G. Bunker, Esq., and Nos. 152, 
199, and 228 by Peter Folger, Esq. 
Newark , New Jersey, Lat. 40° 45', Lon. 74° 10'. Reported time 9h. 45m. 4 
“ Visible about half a minute.” 
New Bedford , Massachusetts, No. 224. An account of the meteor, published in 
the New Bedford Mercury, says that “ it appeared to pass in a direction nearly 
parallel with the horizon, at an elevation of 34° or 35°,” time 9h. 57m. 5 In a note 
1 According to the calculated path, the meteor passed the meridian of Mont Clair at an altitude of 
50° 39'; but if by the words, “ at right angles to his position/’the observer intends to designate the 
point where a line drawn from his eye would intersect the meteor’s path at right angles, the altitude 
at that point was over 53°, as shown in the table (No. 96). The calculated altitude, at the first ex 
plosion, is less than 30°, and at the second over 50°. The azimuth S. 46° or 41° E., is much too 
southerly for any point in the calculated path. 
3 According to the calculated path, the greatest altitude, and the altitude at the time of the 
second explosion, were both over 45°. The first explosion occurred before the meteor was seen by 
Prof. Quimby. 
3 Time of meridian passage, by calculation, lOh. 3m. 55 sec. 
4 Calculated time of meridian passage, 9h. 41m. 12sec. 
5 Calculated time of meridian passage, lOh. 0m. 30 sec. 
lit 
■