22 METHOD OF OBSERVING TRANSITS. 



moving ftar being fituated very near to the fituation there 

 pointed out as the place of the Ceres on the 23th of March. 

 Prefent fitua- The planet or comet difcovered by Dr. Olbers, at Bremen, on 

 tion, April *6. t he 28th ult, is at prefent in a very fmall degree to the S. E. of 

 the fituation of the Ceres on the 25th of March, and will rea- 

 dily be feen by a night-glafs or telefcope. It is invifible to my 

 naked eye, but appears of a definable difc with a magnifying 

 Definable difc power of a 100 times. Its light is pale red and very faint, and 

 with power of through the night-glafs is lefs brilliant than the Ceres, although 

 ioo. Pale red r • .i . T r •« • u. i J 



and lefs brilliant no magnity nig power that I can ule will give the latter any ap- 



than Ceres. parent diameter. It feems probable that its diftance is about 

 nearer theEarth. as * ar a S am as tne Earth is from the Sun, whilft the Ceres is 

 near three times the diflance, and Mars about once and a half 

 as far off. As my object is merely to enable any perfon to find 

 it, I do not trouble you with any more full account at this late 

 period of the month. 



I remain, SIR, 



With much refpeft, 



Your conftant reader, 



W. WALKER. 



Prefent fituation The Ceres Ferdinandia will be found a little to the north- 

 ef Ceres. ea ft f the flar Beta in the Lion's Tail, being the eaftermoft 



point of a right angled triangle formed by Beta, a double flar 



due north of it and itfelf. 



On Bradley's Method of obferving Tranfits, and another Method 

 by zchich the Thicknefs of the Wire is rendered of no Importance \ 

 In a Letter from Mr. Ezekiel Walker. 



To Mr. NICHOLSON. 

 SIR, 



Dr. Bradley's 1 HE method of taking tranfit obfervations introduced by 

 ingtranfitrbfer" ^ r - 3 ra dley is ftill ufed by aftronomers. This confifls in 

 vations defcrjbed. noting the proportional diflance of the liar from the wire at 

 the two beats of the clock, one immediately preceding, and 

 the other immediately following its paflage acrofs the wire. 

 If the wire be fo thick as to cover the itar, and the flar hap- 

 pens to be behind it when the clock beats, the fituation oJHhe 



fiar's 



