273). The rotation of the Sun has been given by Carrington at 25:38 d.; by Spörer, 25.23 d. Inclination of axis, Carrington, 7° 15′; Spörer, 6° 57'.-Canon Stark, of Augsburg, is said by Hind to have observed, as well as Pastorff, the transit of the comet in 1819. The same authority has fixed Wray's observation (p. 42) at Whitby. Venus. Much attention has of late been paid to this planet, especially since the silvered reflector has been found peculiarly capable of defining it: and the following additional details, many of them due to the Observing Astronomical Society, are of some value, referring in part to phænomena which so eminent an authority as Dawes considered questionable. This planet alone may undoubtedly be followed through every part of its orbit, when not too close to the solar limb. Near inferior conjunction, the extension of the light beyond a semicircle has been witnessed by Noble and Andrews. The indented terminator, said to be figured (with a spot) at an early epoch by Fontana, has been recorded by Key, Browning, Ormesher, Buffham, and Langdon (who has also seen many spots). When very thin, Buckingham has found it not merely irregular but interrupted at 3 points: Lyman, contracted in 2 places. One or both cusps occasionally blunted, Buffham, Ormesher, Browning, Petty, Noble, Holden (who has seen a bright speck cut off at N. horn when sharper than S.), Langdon (who noticed a sharp bendingin of N. cusp), and an observer signing himself T. P. (who found S. horn at times nearly cut off, and disc often varied by dark and bright spots). Huggins has repeatedly for years noticed a round bright spot, and, as well as Browning, has seen the surface pitted with markings like craterlets.' With describes it (Apr. 6, 1868) as marbled or veined all over, and on the same occasion, using a 124 in. unsilvered mirror, perceived a small bright projection on the circular limb,* about 40° from S. cusp; this was confirmed by Key, at about 36°, April 12 and subsequent days, with granulations towards a terminator more deeply serrated than that of the Moon: Mar. 15, Browning had seen a bright patch of some extent 80° from that cusp, so luminous as to show projection like the snow on Mars. Browning and T. P. have very frequently traced the dark limb, and the phosphorescence was seen in the day-time by Langdon and several others a little before inferior conjunction, Feb. 5, 1870. Key thinks this strange phænomenon may be due to auroral or zodiacal light. A copy of Bianchini's diagram of the spots is given here, as it may *Compare Schröter and Harding on Mercury, p. 44. materially assist the student in identification; especially if transferred, as it readily may be, to a small globe. 360 330 300 270 240 210 180 150 120 90 60 30 The Moon.--The following additional objects have received names:491, Carrington; 492, Livingstone; 493, Stanley; 494, Baker. The name Kirch (130), originally given by Schr. to a mountain, and transferred by B. & M. to a neighbouring crater, has been restored by Birt, the crater being designated 428, Rumker.-M. thinks that clefts may still be in process of formation.-Birt says the white spot W. of Picard is now much smaller than in 1859-1863, or even later.-He has seen the M. Serenitatis very indistinct, scarcely a crater being detected upon it, while the region E. of it was clear and well defined (see p. 73, ncte). From 133 estimates in 2 years the floor of Plato is shewn to darken with increasing illumination.-G.'s 'Astron. Jahrbuch,' 1842, contains an engraving of many remarkable formations, not however referred to in the text, and possibly bound up wrong, from which it appears that the dissimilarity of Messier and Messier A had not escaped that acute observer. Some of his measures of lunar heights which have been preserved agree remarkably well with those of B. & M.-For German scholars, where expense is an object, M.'s own abridgement of 'Der Mond' (p. 72), entitled 'Kurzgefasste Beschreibung des Mondes,' Berlin, 1839, may be substituted for it. Jupiter.-Barneby described the equatorial belts as rosy, when the satellites were all invisible, Aug. 21, 1867; Browning saw no strong colour in that region, Dec. 1867; I found it barely noticeable with 8 in. silvered glass, Nov. 7, 1872.-Gledhill saw the minute round bright spots (p. 140) Oct. 10, 1870.-Barneby and two others saw the double spot on III., Aug. 21, 1867, of a ginger colour (p. 152). Comets. Birmingham observed that of Biela illuminated by a star over which it passed, Aug. 23, 1868; and he and Tempel saw Comet II. 1871, as if sprinkled with star-like points. Antinous. n. Var. 36-4'4 mag. Aquarius. Double, 13' s of 60, which is about 140 s of 7, XXII 29m, So° 44': est. 8·5, 9'5: 210°: 2′′, with 13 m. comes sp. Burnham. Aquila. Triple, closely f e, xvII1h 54m, N 14° 54′: est. 9'5, 10 ̊5, 10: 260°: 110°: 6", 14". Ward. The colour of the Red Star, p. 204, was remarked by Bessel, 1823. Brightness slightly var. Kn. Boötes. e. Binary character uncertain. D. 1. 8 deep purple; 1848. D. 44. Both sometimes white, sometimes pale yellow. D. 39. Both more usually pale yellow. D. 1884. White, brownish; 1848. D. Red Star. XIVh 18m, N 26° 21' 75 m. H. Cancer. S. Period of 3rd star probably 600 or 7005. D. 1177. Pale green, pale yellow; 1854. D. w'. VII 53m, N 25° 45': 6, 11.5: est. 40°: 2": golden, greyish blue. Buckingham. Canis Minor. P VII 170. A most minute star a little s p. Hunt, 4in. achr. 1862. Cassiopea. Quintuple. oh 45m, N 55° 55′ (12m fa): est. 7.75, 11, 8.5, 10, 15: 90°, 135°, 200°, 360°: 1"5, 4", 10", 15". Burnham. Cepheus. The Garnet is not μ of A, or B.A.C., the place of which is xX1h 50m 51*. Corona. . 6 sometimes purplish. D. n. Both white or yellowish. D. Comes glimpsed with 4in. achr. Hunt. σ. Palc yellow, greenish. D. Cygnus. 8. 9 blue. D. [O 389. XIX 47m, N 30° 49′: De 7, 9: 183°2: 12"·5.] [ 640 (H.'s Synopt. Cat. of 's stars). XIX 41, N 32° 46′ (4TM p x2, 3° s of x'): est. 7, 9′5 (A 6·5, 9): sp: 30′′? yellow, blue or lilac. Very pretty.] [Double.xxh 9m, N 41° 35': est. 75, 10: 40°: 10".] [Double. ± xx1 42m, N 42° 3′: est. 8, 10: 110°: 10′′.] [x2 suspected of losing in colour as it gains in light; 1872.] Gemini. H 264 (p. 247). So numbered in H.'s Synopt. Cat. M.R.A.S. XXXV. R. Var. 7·3—11 mag. in 370d. Blue, yellow, red by turns. Hind; Pogson. Hercules. 100. Sm gives 2 minute comites sf, nf, seen by Hunt. Lynx. 1187. VIII Im, N 32° 36′: 8, 7'5: 71°: 1"6, 1829; De 56°3: 1′′·8, 1863: white. Binary [not examined.] Monoceros. 11. 65 certainly orange; 1862. Hunt. Double. If €, 12′ n: est. 2′′ 5. Burnham. Pisces. Red* (p. 285) is wrongly placed here. |