An Account of a Meteor Seen at Peckham, Dec. 11. 1741. by Tho. Milner, M. D.

any thing new or agreeable to you, to desire you to excuse the great Hurry in which it is wrote, and to assure you, that I am very sincerely, SIR, Your faithful Humble Servant, Petre. N.B. Effects of Lightning, like this, were observed by Sir John Clark. See Philosophical Transactions, No 454. p. 235. IX. An Account of a Meteor seen at Peckham, Dec. 11. 1741. by Tho. Milner, M.D. Read June 24. December 11. 1741. at Seven Minutes past One in the Afternoon by the common Clocks, a Globe of Light, somewhat larger than the horizontal Full Moon, and as bright as the Moon appears at any time while the Sun is above the Horizon, instantaneously appeared, in a blue clear Sky, about the S.S.E. moving towards the East with a continual equable Motion, and leaving behind it a narrow Streak of Light, whiter than the Globe itself, throughout its whole Course. Towards the End it appeared less than at the Beginning of its Motion; and within Three, or at most Four Seconds, it suddenly vanished. Its apparent Velocity was nearly equal to half the Velocity of those usual Meteors commonly called falling or shooting Stars: This may be thought an indeterminate way of expressing its Velocity, as those falling Stars vary in the Swiftness of their Motions; but if such be understood as have a mean Velocity, between the swiftest and the slowest, it expresses, in the best manner I can think of, the apparent Velocity of its Motion. The narrow luminous Streak remained very distinct after the Globe was gone; and gave a fair Opportunity for taking the Elevation of this Phenomenon above the Horizon, at the Beginning and End of its Motion, &c. had there been proper Instruments ready at hand: This not being the Case, I guessed the Elevation of the Globe, when it first appeared, was near $30^\circ$. But some Days after, being exactly in the same Situation as when I saw this Meteor, I took the Elevation of a small Cloud, which appeared to be in the same Place, with a Quadrant of Two Feet Radius, and found it to be but $20^\circ$. This luminous Tract, or Path, seemed a Right Line, not quite parallel, but a little inclined to the Plane of the Horizon, viz. highest towards the East. It was at first very narrow, and pointed at each Extremity; but soon grew broader, and within 20 Minutes after the Appearance, which was the last time I saw any thing of this Affair, it appeared exactly like a long bright rare Cloud, discontinued in two Places, above three times its first Breadth, and a little more inclined to, and elevated above the Horizon, than it was immediately after the Motion of the Globe. Peckham, June 20. 1742. Thomas Milner.