SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 317 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



Extra ft of a Letter from Mr. W. Walker, Letlurer on the 

 Eidouranion, on the nezv Planet Ceres. 



To Mr. NICHOLSON. 



42, Conduit-ftreet, Hanover-fquare, 

 SIR, London, 25th March, 1802. 



A HE intereft that I find excited, both in public and in pri- New planet 

 vate, by the difcovery of a new planet, induces me to offer ms * 

 you the lateft obfervations by which it can be afcertained, that 

 the necelfary publication of your moft valuable Journal will 

 admit. 



Since the 15 th of this inftant March, I have regularly ob- Obfervations on 

 ferved it; and by the following memorandums it will be rea- the neighbouring 

 dily found by any of your readers, who are folicitous, and ftars, by means 

 provided with a night telefcope, or a common fpy-glafs, for JJianVmayte 

 it is not vifible to my unaffifted eye. eafily found. 



If at 9. 10. 11. 12. 1. 2. or 3. in the night, a line is 

 drawn from Theta Lionis, through Beta or the Lion's Tail : 

 at the fame diftance, and to the left, but a little above this ter- 

 mination, a fmall configuration of ftars will be perceived of the 

 following defcription : Two ftars of considerable brightnefs will 

 be found to form one fide of an equilateral triangle, and a very 

 fmall ftar the other point of this figure. Between thefe larger 

 ones and the point will be feen two minuter ftars, which, with 

 the ftar at the point, form alfo an equilateral triangle. The 

 Ceres is paffing through this clufter. On the 15th inftant the 

 planet was to the eaft of the •fmalleft ftar at the point of the 

 triangle. I have regularly obferved it on the 16th, 20th, 21ft, 

 22d, and this evening the 25th, when it is arrived between 

 the two w r efternmoft or largeft ftars of the above configu- 

 ration. 



By continuing this line it may eafily be difcovered for a 

 few nights to come. The planet is as bright as moft of the 

 ftars in its neighbourhood. But although I have obferved it 

 with magnifying powers from forty to above one thoufand 

 times, I muft hefitate in declaring it to have a defined diame- 

 4 ter 



