142 Iritellikcnce and Miscellaneous Articles. 



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tion, which would probably have perished, had it not been for the 

 interest and zeal that Bode took in every thing relating to astronomy. 

 Notwithstanding the rapid strides which the science has made on the 

 Continent, little or no alteration however was made in the usual co- 

 lumns of this annual publication during Bode's life-time j but on 

 his death M. Encke, who has been appointed to succeed him, de- 

 termined on re-modelling the work altogether, and on adapting it 

 to the increased and increasing demands of the astronomer. With 

 this view he has abandoned the plan of publishing the voluminous 

 Appendix thereto, which has generally been filled with matter that 

 more properly belongs to a periodical journal, and which will now 

 be transferred to the pages of Professor Schumacher's very valuable 

 Astronomische Nachrichten -, whilst the monthly columns of the Ephe- 

 meris will be consequently enlarged without any additional expense 

 to the reader. On the other hand, Professor Schumacher will in 

 future discontinue his annual Hulfstafeln ; which will henceforth form 

 part of M. Encke's work above alluded to. This exchange will be 

 highly advantageous to the practical astronomer, who will thus have, 

 in one volume, all the daily information he requires for the use of his 

 observatory. The present volume is for the year 1830. 



One principal and great improvement in this Ephemeris is the in- 

 troduction of mean solar time into all the computations, instead of ap- 

 parent time, as hitherto adopted in other ephemerides. The latter is 

 never referred to, except in the case of the sun at the time of its cul- 

 mination. In every other instance, the places of the moon and planets 

 (and even the sun itself) is computed to mean solar time reckoned 

 from the apparent equinox. 



The arrangement of the Ephemeris also is very much improved. 

 The places of the sun and moon are, as usual, disposed in monthly 

 columns : but the places of the planets, and the other subjects which 

 compose the body of the Ephemeris, are arranged in their respective 

 orders, each by itself ; as will be better understood from the synopsis 

 of the work which we are about to present to our readers. 



The computations likewise are carried to a greater degree of mi- 

 nuteness than has hitherto been done in any other similar work ; and 

 are thus not only better adapted to the more refined wants of the 

 modern astronomer, but also more convenient for interpolation. 



On the whole it is a work which we are persuaded will find a place 

 in every observatory. We have often expressed our opinion of the 

 want of such an Ephemeris, having occasionally suggested improve- 

 ments for our own national production " the Nautical Almanac ." 

 and we know that for many years past repeated representations on 

 the same subject have been made to the Board of Longitude, not 

 only by private individuals, but also by the Royal Society j but all to 

 little or no purpose. For, though a gleam of light had lately begun 

 to flitter amongst that learned body (like the expiring flame of a 

 lamp), and they consequently thought it right (unconscious however 

 of their approaching dissolution) to listen at last to the increasing 

 demands of the astronomer -, yet they were so tardy in their produc- 

 tion, and so sparing in their explanations, that the information they 



intended 



