Profijfor of Mathematics at Gb'ttingen, 103 



In the year 1771, Lichtenberg, in confequence of a pro- 

 pofal made "by Kaftner, was appointed to make obfervatioiis 

 for determining the geographical fituation of different places 

 ill the eledorate of Hanover. He, however, wanted a qua- 

 drant ; and as Kampe, who had undertaken to conftrucl one, 

 proceeded (lowly in his labour, Kiiilner applied to Demain- 

 bray, director of the king's private obfervatory at Richmond, 

 who lent him, at the king's defire, a quadrant by Siflbn, 

 which Lichtenberg euiployed, and which he afterwards gave 

 to the obfervatory. 



The obfervatory ha^ now obtained an pxccllent inftrument 

 for correfponding altitudes of the fun ; but as obfervations, 

 on account of the nature of the building, could be taken 

 in the morning only on the fouth-eaft fide, and in the after- 

 noon on the fouth-weft, it was neceffary to remove the qua- 

 drant each time, and afterwards to adjuft it. This labour 

 was undertaken by H. Opperman; I. T. Mayer, fon of the 

 aftronomer, a counlellor of ftate to his Britifh majelly, and 

 now profeflbr at Gottingen in the room of Lichtenberg 5 and 

 Miiller, captain of the Elbe frigate at Stade : but, on a re- 

 prefentation made by Kaftner, a building was coiiftructed in 

 the year 1782, under the diredliion of Opperman, on the 

 fouth fide of the obfervatory, where Siffon's quadrant is now 

 ere6led^ and when ufed it needs only to be turned. A like 

 building has been conftrufted on the north fide, for corre^ 

 fponding altitudes of the northern ftars. 



Kaflncr procured from Baumann fcveral achromatic tele^ 

 fcopes and a heliometer; and the obfervatory, by the munifi- 

 cence of their prcfent majefties, the late duke of York, and 

 the care of the Hanoverian government, w^as enriched with 

 various telefcopes, among which was one of Herfchel's re- 

 fleilors, and a clock by Shelton with a compenfation pen- 

 duluiii. A paper of Kaftner's refpe6ling the variations in 

 the going of this clock during the winter of 1778, may be 

 found in Langfdorff'g Mechanical and Hy(Jrodynamical Re- 

 fearches, publifhed in 1788. 



In the year 1789, Charles Felix SeyfTer was appointed 

 niofeflbr of aiironoiny at pottingcn j and as the practical 



part 



