soon followed by (a) the first, or Regulus, below her, which she will soon be seen to have passed, and to be advancing into the barren space in the constellation of the Lion.

Mercury is a morning star the whole of this month. His latitude, on the 1st, is three degrees five minutes north, in the twenty-third degree of the ninth sign (f); and it decreases to the 23d, when he passes the ecliptick in his descending node, in the eleventh degree of the tenth sign (W); and his southern latitude increases to the end of the month, when it is fiftyeight minutes, in the twenty second degree of this sign. His motion is direct. On the Ist, his height above the horizon at Sun-rise is under ten degrees; and when at his greatest elongation, on the 13th, very nearly the same. He is first to be seen, and will be seen by the keen astronomer, in the barren space between the eastern and western branches of the Milkyway, to the west of (u) the twelfth of the Archer, under which star he passes on the 15th, directing his course to the small stars in the head of this constellation, passing () the thirteenth, on the 23d; and he finishes his course about the middle of the barren space

between the heads of the Archer and the Goat. The Moon passes him on the 13th.

Her latitude, on

Venus is an evening star. the 1st, is one degree and a half south, in the first degree of the eleventh sign (); and it increases to about thirty-seven minutes on the 18th; and her motion being direct during the whole month, she is at the end of it in the ninth degree of the twelfth sign (X). We see her first in the south-west, in the lower region, under the two first stars of the Goat, Jupiter being at some distance above her, to whom she is directing her course, and these two beautiful planets will amuse many a spectater, who, casting only a cursory eye at them, is pleased with their splendour, but attends little to their motions, Her path lies through a barren space, in which she meets nothing worthy of notice till the 17th, when she passes the western of the two highest of the four small stars in the tail of the Goat (7), and the next day (8) the fourth of this constellation; on the 18th, she passes Jupiter, at the distance of only forty-seven minutes to the south of him. Under the two planets we notice the four small stars in the tail of the Goat, from which Venus receding directs her course to (^)

the eleveth of the Water-bearer, near to and under which she finishes it. On the 27th, she passes under and near to (a) the eighteenth of the Water-bearer. The Moon passes her on the 17th.

Mars rises about half past five in the evening of the 1st, and every evening earlier, affording ample time for observations upon him; and as he is in opposition on the 16th, his splendour will be great. His latitude, on the 1st, is three degrees fifty-six minutes north, in the seconddegree of the fifth sign (). His motion is retrograde, and on the last day his latitude is about four degrees and a quarter north, in the twentieth degree of the fourth sign (). He rises at first in north-east-by-east, at some distance under the two first stars of the Twins, and is soon followed by the two small stars and included nebula of the Crab. From these he is perceived to recede, directing his course under the two first of the Twins, passing between the two small stars of the Crab, (4) the twenty-third, and () the twelfth, on the 14th, being about a degree from the former star. Continuing his course from these stars, he finishes it under (6) the second of the Twins, and about two degrees

from this star. The Moon passes him on the 2d, and again on the 28th.

Ceres is on the meridian about midnight of the 21st, and consequently affords very favourable opportunities of discovering her this month. Her latitude, on the 1st, is ten degrees twelve minutes north, in the tenth degree of the fifth sign (); and it increases during the whole month, being on the last day somewhat more than twelve degrees and a quarter, in the fourth degree of this sign, her motion being retrograde. She will be discovered therefore first to the west of the small stars in the head of the Lion, between (x) the tenth of this constellation, the most western of these stars, and the small stars called (p) in the Crab: to these latter stars she is slowly approaching, and she reaches them about the 10th, passing between the first of them and the small star in the foot of the Lynx; and she finishes her course above and near to (1) the tenth of the Crab, being between that star and the two (a) of the Lynx. A telescope of ordinary power will discover her. The Moon passes her on the 3d, and again on the 29th.

Jupiter is an evening star. His latitude, an

the 1st, is fifty minutes south, in the nineteenth degree of the eleventh sign (); and his motion is direct through about seven degrees, with nearly the same latitude. He is first seen above and near to (7) the third of the Goat, and he passes (8) the fourth on the 8th, thus marking out distinctly to us the two highest of the four small stars in the tail of this constellation. Proceeding from them he passes (u) the twelfth on the 16th. The chief feature in his course is the passage of Venus by him on the 18th, and these two magnificent planets decorate the lower region of the western hemisphere during the whole of the month. The Moon passes him on the 17th.

Saturn is on the meridian about five o'clock in the evening of the 1st, and every succeeding evening earlier. His latitude, on the 1st, is two degrees sixteen minutes south, in the twentysixth degree of the twelfth sign (); and his motion is direct through two degrees,, with a small decrease of latitude. We see him therefore, when on the meridian, under the four stars in square, but nearest to the line drawn through the two eastern of these stars and produced. The Moon passes him on the 19th,