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.
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