368 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



this -world should occupy in contracting its orbit so much that its influ- 

 ence may disappear on the verge of our system, that another similar 

 body could be formed. We are thus conducted to a satisfactory 

 explanation of the LAW OF BODE. 



In travelling through space, our sun collects those masses which 

 have very nearly his own velocity : for if their velocity differed con- 

 siderably from his, there could be little chance that their orbits could 

 be rendered elliptical either by the resistence of a medium, or by the 

 action of other bodies. But, in the presence of an attraction from 

 numerous systems, the velocity of bodies can approximate to equality, 

 only when they move in parallel curves and planes which nearly 

 coincide. The result is, that the sun's attendants instead of exhibiting 

 every degree of inclination in their orbits, never deviate far from the 

 SAME PLANE, though their paths, however, are inclined at a much 

 greater angle when introduced into our system, than when controlled 

 by the attraction from more distant centres. While new worlds are 

 thus formed at the verge of our system, those of an earlier origin are 

 continually approaching the centre from the causes I have previously 

 noticed, and from the immense size of the sun it would appear that 

 he has received not only large supplies of meteoric stones and comets, 

 but even several worlds, which, after revolving around him for unnum- 

 bered a^cs, were at last entombed beneath his surface. 



O ' 



ADVANTAGES OF THE CLIMATE OF THE SOUTHERN STATES FOR 



ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



MR. C. O. BOUTELLE, of the Coast Survey, in a communication 

 made to the Savannah (Ga.) Republican, says : Three years' experi- 

 ence in astronomical observations in this climate, enable the writer to 

 assert with some degree of confidence, that the general condition of 

 the atmosphere is such as to be highly favorable to the use of large 

 telescopes, with high powers. Astronomers experience great difficul- 

 ties from the irregularities of temperature of our atmosphere, render- 

 ing vision with telescopes of high magnifying powers, very indistinct. 

 On clear cold nights, when the stars appear to twinkle most beauti- 

 fully and to shine the brightest to the unassisted eye, when " the 

 chill stars sparkle," the astronomer can see nothing. Every object 

 appears confused and irregular in his telescope. His richest harvest 

 frequently occurs when a slight haze covers the heavenly bodies with 

 a nlmly veil, through which the smallest objects can be distinctly seen. 

 In this climate, the number of still nights, i. e. when the outlines of the 

 heavenly bodies appear clear and distinct, greatly outnumber those in 

 more Northern Latitudes, where our observatories are mostly situated _ 



RUSSIAN MEASUREMENT OF THE ARC OF MERIDIAN. 



THE measurement of the great arc of a meridian in Eastern 

 Europe, undertaken by the Russian Government, has been advancing 

 during the past year with unexampled rapidity, and to an extent 



