Two views of a meteor
Date
1803
Creator
Wilson Lowry (1762 - 1824, British) , Engraver
Object type
Library reference
9183
Material
Technique
Dimensions
height (print): 210mm
width (print): 128mm
width (print): 128mm
Subject
Description
Stages of a meteor in Earth’s atmosphere, showing (A-B) the direction of travel.
The accompanying text states that: ‘I was first advertised of the appearance of this meteor by a very strong light which rendered all the surrounding objects visible…At its first appearance it seemed quite round, and well defined, except the part opposite to the direction in which it was moving…(see uppermost figure…). On each side of this tail there were two or three smaller balls…it suddenly altered its figure to something like the shape of an egg (see the lower figure…). At this moment its light became so strong that it was not without much difficulty I was able to keep looking at it.’.
Plate 5, illustrating the paper: ‘Account of the meteor seen on the evening of Sunday, November 13th, 1803; with some observations on the best means of ascertaining the latitude, bearing, magnitude, distance, and velocity of such phenomena. By Mr. T. Firminger.’ The Philosophical Magazine…[edited] by Alexander Tilloch, v.17, (1803-1804) pp.279-284.
Inscribed above: ‘Philo. Mag. Pl.V. Vol.XVII.’. Inscribed below: ‘Lowry sculp.’.
Wilson Lowry (1762-1824), British engraver and geologist, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1812.
Thomas Firminger (1775-1861) British astronomer, assistant to Nevil Maskelyne at Greenwich Observatory.
The accompanying text states that: ‘I was first advertised of the appearance of this meteor by a very strong light which rendered all the surrounding objects visible…At its first appearance it seemed quite round, and well defined, except the part opposite to the direction in which it was moving…(see uppermost figure…). On each side of this tail there were two or three smaller balls…it suddenly altered its figure to something like the shape of an egg (see the lower figure…). At this moment its light became so strong that it was not without much difficulty I was able to keep looking at it.’.
Plate 5, illustrating the paper: ‘Account of the meteor seen on the evening of Sunday, November 13th, 1803; with some observations on the best means of ascertaining the latitude, bearing, magnitude, distance, and velocity of such phenomena. By Mr. T. Firminger.’ The Philosophical Magazine…[edited] by Alexander Tilloch, v.17, (1803-1804) pp.279-284.
Inscribed above: ‘Philo. Mag. Pl.V. Vol.XVII.’. Inscribed below: ‘Lowry sculp.’.
Wilson Lowry (1762-1824), British engraver and geologist, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1812.
Thomas Firminger (1775-1861) British astronomer, assistant to Nevil Maskelyne at Greenwich Observatory.
Associated place