Saturday, December 6, 2008

from The Edinburgh Journal of Science, 1826

(Page 378)

Luminous Phenomenon observed between Paisley and Glasgow. On the morning of the 14th instant, about 6h 37'. I was gratified by the sight of a luminous globe or bolide, while going from Paisley to Glasgow. It was tranquilly stationary as if equipoised, and of a similar specific gravity with the plane it seemed to float upon. Its form was somewhat elliptical and translucent in consistency, faintly luminous. After a short while it discharged sparks, and this discharge was subsequently repeated, and by the impulse springing from the re-action of the atmosphere, the bolide moved from north to south, maintaining the horizontal plane, not in any section of the arc of a parabola. The star-like sparks were bright and silvery, and altogether expressive of having its dependence on an electro-magnetic principle. The night had been wet and tempestuous, and the entire day discovered a horizontal parallelism of the clouds in the distant sky; the clouds were chiefly cumulostrati. 

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