4 Htflory of AJlronomy for the Year 1800. 



telefcopes by Short and Herfchel, compenfation balances, 

 marine time-keepers, all afTumed in the laft century a new 

 face. 



The conclufion of the laft century was remarkable in 

 many refpefts. Some days before the end of the year 1799, 

 C, Mechain difcovered a comet in Ophiuchus ; it was ob- 

 ferved alfo by Meffier. Mechain and Burckhardt took the 

 earlieft opportunity of calculating the elements of it. 



What was fo tedious and difficult fifty years ago, is at pre- 

 fent the work of a few hours. This comet was feen only fof 

 a few days, and appeared to the naked eye as a ftar oA the 

 fifth or iixth magnitude* It is the 91ft, the orbits of which 

 have been calculated. . Its orbit has been calculated alfo in 

 Germaiiy by M. Olbers and M. De Wahl. 



The prize propofed by the Inftitute for determining the 

 orbit of the comet of 1770, has produced an excellent me- 

 inpir by Burckhardt, in which the qucftion has been refolved ; 

 but, to reprefent the obfervations, he has been obliged, like 

 Mr. Lcxel, to recur to an orbit of five years. However ex- 

 traordinary that refult may appear, the attraction of Jupiter 

 feems capable of explaining that derangement; but this ar- 

 ticle would require long difcuflions. 



The graridiabour refpefting the ftars, which we began on 

 the 5th of Auguft 1789, has been continued with courage, 

 and fuccefsfully terminated by Le Fran^ais-Lalande. He 

 has determined the places of 50,000 ftars, from the pole to 

 two or three degrees below the tropic of Capricorn ; and he 

 has already begun, with Burckhardt, to review the zodiacal 

 conftellations, in the hopes of finding fome new planets^ 

 Madame Le Fran^ais, who has already reduced 10,000 ftars, 

 has beQ:un the reduction of the whole number with exem- 

 plary ardour. Thcfe 50,000 ftars, terminated with the i8th 

 century, will, in my opinion, form a remarkable epoch in 

 the increafe of our aftronomical knowledge during that period. 



M. Bode, of Berlin, has publiflied the fourth number of 

 his large and beautiful Celeftial Atlas : he announces that 

 the fifth and laft will appear in the courfe of four months, 

 with a preface and index, and a catalogue of 17,000 (tars, a 

 great part of which were furniflied by me. This atlas coti- 



fift§ 



