An Unusual Meteor

Physics

Scientific paper

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Scientific paper

AT 8.31 on Sunday evening, March 1, when half a mile north of York Minster, I caught sight of a meteor slowly falling vertically almost due east. It was then passing over the two small stars ν and ξ Ursæ Majoris, which at the time were at an altitude of 43°, azimuth 5° north of east. Seeing that it meant to last awhile, I proceeded to repeat the alphabet in the orthodox manner (once through, each letter quickly but distinctly enunciated, requiring 4 seconds). Having gone over it twice, I must confess that my amazement at the meteor's duration made me pause. But it kept on, so I continued, getting through it twice more. Then, after a second involuntary but very unscientific pause, I finished the alphabet a fifth time before the phenomenon came to a close. In all, I must have watched it at least 25 seconds. After some 10 seconds, when about the same altitude as β Leonis (24°), a smaller meteor (fourth magnitude) appeared 1° to the left, at an angle of about 40°, and, proceeding at the same speed of under 2° per second, lasted 3 or 4 seconds. The original, of which this was doubtless a fragment, was between first and second magnitude, but with a distinct disc, and was followed by a train of sparks, reddish like itself, which was never more than 2° or 3° long, or lasting only 1 or 2 seconds. The fragment had also a slight train. The main mass seemed to pause slightly about this spot, perhaps because of this explosion. From the first it moved slower and slower, doubtless an effect of perspective, and finally disappeared almost due east (within 5° north of east), only 5° or so above the horizon, in the unusually clear sky just above the rising moon.

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