New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-07-31
THE NE TEOR.
dence of The N. Y. Tribune

~. \.
ELLIcoTrvILLE, July o. 1900.
Lat. 400 16 261, lon. 7so AZ, w. OF Greenwich.
Iyenture to send the following facts concerning the
meteor of July 20, although its day has passed, ba
not the nine days during which it is legally wonder.
was 80 unfortunate not to see it, and have de-
layed sending on any account Of it until great many
observations had been compared 30 that the Commune
cation would contain only such data reliable, and
on which calculations might be based Ny method In
collecting data has been 60 with each observer to the
place where he the phenomenon, at nine in tho
evening, and have him point out the path of the me-
teor among the stars and have been very agreeably
SURPRISE to find several gentlemen living at distance
Of two three miles from each other, who coald not
have compared notes. agreeing within degree az to
its direction and greatest angle of elevation.
The meteor or aerohte passed here at Oh. Sm. 10
the evening, local time Oh. SON., NewYork time. Il
appeared TO rise from the northwestern horizon at
point N co. w. msgnetc), passed 10 the north Of the
zenith and set below the south easten horizon at
point s. g.. e. (Ga@g1pDee The variation Of the
true courses: rose n. 72lo W., set 8. 1919 Il.
1t passed near Ali th, in Ursa Major, between the
guards of Urea Minor, and about midway between Chi
and Zeta, Ursa Minor. These points would make its
greatest altitude above the pole Of the heavens ct that
time very nearly IL.
Latitude .s Of E iSs sS,u IS D.
Greatest elevation Of meteor. ............5so ls 2S
lue nuCleus vi DOuy OF the dtroulc was st"S", auu
shone with an intense white light not dazzling, but
most beautiful, clear white light fully equal to the foil
moon.
1t had trail of blush light behind it, which, at is
greatest elevation, was from 8 to l2o in length.
When disappearing below the south eastern horizon,
it emitted sparks or balls Of fire which one observer
compared to locomotive firing up in q dark night.
Another observer, who had lower horizon, said that
as it was setting it seemed be falling 70 pieces, the
pieces of different shapes and sizes.
II had .teady, equabe motion; that To- IL seemed 70
move through equal spaces in equal umes Very hign,
light CIRCUS clouds lay in patches the sky, above
which all agree the meteor passed. These clouds AZ
times would partially obstruct its light and gave it the
appearance Of darting at intervals.
The length Of time from its rising TO Its setting was
from 20 to 80 seconds.
Its apparent diameter was about oneh,rd the dam.
eter of the full moon. Many would call il more, but
none less. One man is certain that IL was oblong IN
shape and about three times as long as wide-none
called it exactly round. From minute and bali TO-
two minutee-more nesriy two minutes-ater II die.
appeared, a sound was heard like distant cannon. All
who heard it compared it TO distant cannOn, none 70
thunder
To all who heard it, except one, the sound seemed
TO come from the direction in which the aerole dsap-
peared. One gentleman close observer too, said the
sound seemed 10 come from the north and con-
sted CT two reports in such quick succession that some
might mistake them for sound This double report
wss noticed by another.
After the meteor had gone, some noticed dark
streak lying along the path pursued by the aegOie,
seemingly as wide as wagon track, probably 3 orF
broad which after few minutes seemed 10 float away
10 the northeast.
All who saw il rise, agree in one particular, that
when frst seen 1t was DO brighter than the planes
Venus, but when it set its splendor was almost as est
swhsn in the meridian.