I 

 374 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



On the 3d of November his supposition was confirmed, and he now 

 states confidently that Uranus has two satellites interior to the closest, 

 suspected by Sir William Herschel. This had a period of five days ; 

 but the two new ones have for their time of revolution four days and 

 two and one half days respectively. " These new satellites," says Mr. 

 Lassel, " are very faint objects, probably much less than half the bright- 

 ness of the conspicuous ones, and, generally, the nearest has appeared 

 the brightest. All four were steadily seen at one view, in a twenty- 

 foot equatorial, with a magnifying power of 778, in the more tranquil 

 movements of the atmosphere. The finest definition of the planet, and 

 freedom from all loose light in the field of view, are necessary for the 

 scrutiny of these most minute and delicate objects." 



These discoveries of Mr. Lassel make the whole number of satellites 

 accompanying Uranus to be six, the number predicted by Sir John 

 Herschel many years since. A late writer, speculating on the satel- 

 lites of Uranus, a few weeks before the discoveries of Mr. Lassel, says, 

 "If we suppose the satellites of Uranus to be of the same order of 

 magnitude as our moon or Jupiter's moons, it seems almost incredible 

 that they should be seen by light which has gone eighteen hundred 

 millions of miles before it has been reflected, and afterwards retraced 

 its steps through another eighteen hundred millions of miles before it 

 entered the telescope of the observer. The observations, however, upon 

 the two brightest satellites agree extremely well." 



THE NEW RING OF SATURN. 



THE following abstract account of the new ring of Saturn, and the 

 opinions entertained respecting the constitution of all the Brings, is 

 taken from an article furnished by Messrs. Bond, of Cambridge, and 

 published in the Boston Traveller of June 16th, 1851. 



The first diagram which the Messrs. Bond were enabled to make of 

 the new interior ring was on the night of the llth of November, 1850. 

 On the 15th, measurements were made, the new ring being sharply 

 defined. Subsequently, continuous observations were made at the 

 Cambridge Observatory, until the 7th of January. The appearances 

 noticed by the Messrs. Bond were seen by the Rev. W. R. JDawes, at 

 his Observatory, near Maidstone, in England, on the 25th and 29th of 

 November, and subsequently by Mr. Lassel, of Starfield,near Liverpool. 

 In relation to this new discovery, the authors of this communication 

 remark : The question of the multiple divisions of the ring of Saturn 

 has engaged the attention of astronomers from an early period. Cassini 

 appears to have been the first to notice the primary division, though 

 he has placed it midway between the inner and the outer edges. This 

 interval is always visible with a good telescope, but much nearer to 

 the outer edge than Cassini describes it to be. Short, next, with a 

 telescope of twelve feet focus, probably a reflector, saw two or three 

 divisions outside of the centre of the ring. In June, 1780, Sir W. 

 Herschel noticed on four different nights a division near the inner edge. 

 From its never, either previously or subsequently, having been seen by 

 him, it is probable that the subdivisions are not permanent ; otherwise 



