a8z Memoir on Dr. Others' Planet. 



of fouth declination, and that it will then be difficult to fee 

 it at Paris : but C. Vidal, who has already obferved it this 

 year, will then be better able than we to follow it, 



Its greateft northern declination will not exceed 26*- de- 

 grees, a term at which it will be a vear hence, it will be 

 eafier to be feen, but its diftance will be double, and its light 

 four times lefs than the prefent year, In the month of 

 March 1^04, it will be at ihvee times the diftance; its light 

 will be nine times lefs, and, in all probability, it will be 

 dim cult to obfcrve it. 



As the orbit of this new planet interfecls that of Piazzi, 

 I was curious to know whether the two planets might 

 not meet; but I found that, when they are in the fame 

 plane, there will he an interval of about ly millions of 

 leagues between them. 



The planet of Dr. Olbers is very fmall. If we fuppofe its 

 apparent diameter to be half 'a fecond, I find that its real 

 diameter cannot be more than 100 leagues. Dr. Herfehel, 

 in a paper which he read before the Royal Society on the 

 7th of Mav, makes it to be four times lefs, He fays, that 

 on the 22d of April Piazzi's planet was only 22 hundredths 

 of a fecond, and that of Olbers 13 hundredths; but it ap- 

 pears to me, that we have no means of determining, with 

 certainty, quantities. fo fmall. 



Dr. Olbers calls his new r planet, Pallas ; but, as I fee no 

 fufficient motive for this fabulous denomination, I prefer 



iving it the name of the pcrfon to whom we are indebted 

 or this valuable diicovery. 



Dr. Olbers di(tinguiflied bimfelf in 1797 by an excellent 

 treatjfe on comets, and was worthy of the good fortune with 

 which his labours have been crowned. 



(For a further account of Dr. Olbers, fee the laft number 

 of t! *■ Vhilofophical Magazine, where an engraving of him 

 is given.) 



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