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stars in square.

The Moon passes him on

the 5th.

Herschel is on the meridian about one in the morning on the 3d, and at three quarters past eleven at night on the 21st. His latitude, on the 1st, is eleven minutes south, in the twentyeighth degree of the ninth sign (7); and it increases about a minute, his motion being retrograde through nearly a degree and a quarter. He is, when on the meridian, seen at first directly above (7) the third of the Archer, slowly receding to the western margin of the Milky-way. The Moon passes him on the 25th.

The apparent diameter of the Sun, on the 1st, is thirty-one minutes thirty-five seconds; and on the 16th thirty-one minutes thirty-two seconds. The Moon's apparent diameter, on the 1st and 2d, is about thirty-two minutes twenty-two seconds; and it then decreases to the 17th, being, on that and the preceding day, about twentynine minutes thirty-six seconds. It then increases to the 29th, being, at noon on that day, thirty-two minutes forty-six seconds. The Sun enters the fourth sign () on the 21st, at fortythree minutes past one in the afternoon.

For the position of the fixed stars at any hour of the night, consult the volume for 1806, according to the following Table :

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JULY, 1820.

THE appearance of the comet last year, without any warning from astronomers, the shortness of its stay with us, and the prejudices, which still subsist, respecting these bodies, made it for a time the general subject of conversation. "Where were the astronomers," it was said, "that they knew nothing of the matter; and why did they leave it to the guard of a mail coach to announce to the country the arrival of this stranger?" Among those, by whom these questions were frequently repeated, it fell to my lot to be remarked upon by a lady, for whom I entertain very great respect, who looked in vain to my book for 1819, for some intelligence concerning this wonderful stranger. Why was it not an nounced in the EVENING AMUSEMENTS?' The answer is Because the Author knew

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nothing of the matter." On the doctrine of

comets he is a very great sceptick; and he is

very much inclined to believe, that all, who have prognosticated any thing about them, are just as wise as he is upon this subject.

But why did not the astronomers give us earlier information? Because their telescopes are seldom directed to that quarter of the heavens, where the comet made its appearance. They have not yet adopted, nor are they likely to adopt, the wise plan, suggested by Mr. Wollaston, of dividing the heavens into districts, so that on every night each district would be run over by some one or other of the astronomers, who have the advantage of telescopes, and would agree among themselves, each to take his peculiar district, and to notify instantly any occurrence, that he had observed to take place in his province. Had there been half a dozen persons in this island, to whom the regions about the north pole had been assigned, one or other of them would have given us early information, and the astronomers would not have been indebted to the guard of a mail coach for that knowledge, with which long before him they ought to have been acquainted.

But, if it was out of my power to announce

to my readers the arrival of a comet, I have some pleasure in calling their attention to a phoenomenon, which is more interesting to astronomy, and of rarer occurrence, than that of some one or other of the innumerable wandering bodies, whose appearance, not being reduced to certain rules, is in general the subject of greater admiration. We have this year four eclipses, and one of them, an annular eclipse of the Sun, will happen on the 7th of September. We shall not in this island have the advantage of seeing it in this particular and beautiful form; but it will be so seen in a long line of country, from the German Ocean to the Adriatick, and through the south of Italy. We are greatly indebted to a - gentleman of Gray's Inn, Mr. Francis Baily, for calling the attention of the publick to this subject; and he has not only printed a very interesting memoir upon it, not intended for sale, but has declared his readiness to furnish such persons, as may send their cards for that purpose, with any number of copies they may require. He has annexed a request, which I trust will be generally complied with, that they, who thus receive his memoir, will be kind enough in return to favour him with the observations, they or their friends may make, in whatever language

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