ASTRONOMY AND METEOROLOGY. 



NEW PLANETS DISCOVERED DURING THE YEAR 1853. 



The number of planetary bodies belonging to the Solar System, has 

 been increased during the year 1853, by the discovery of four new 

 asteroids. 



At the commencement of the year 1853, the -whole number of 

 asteroidal planets recognized was twenty-three.* 



The 22d asteroid was discovered on the night of the 16th of No- 

 vember, 1852, by Mr. Hind, of London, and received the name of 

 Calliope. The 23d asteroid was also discovered by Mr. Hind, on the 

 evening of the 15th of December, 1852, and has received the name 

 of Thalia. It is a star of the lOth-llth magnitude, shining with a 

 pale bluish light. 



The 24th asteroidal planet was discovered on the evening of the 5th 

 of April, 1853, by M. Gasparis, of Naples. It has the appearance of 

 a star of the 12th magnitude, and has received the name of Themis. 

 The 25th asteriod was discovered by M. Chacornac, of Marseilles, 

 on the 6th of April, 1853. It has the appearance of a star of the 

 9th magnitude and shines with a bluish light. It has received the 

 name of Phocoea. 



The 26th asteriod was discovered on the evening of the 5th of 

 May, by M. Luther, of the observatory of Bilk, Germany. It ap- 

 pears like a star of the 10th-l 1th magnitude, and has received the 

 name of Proserpine. 



The 27th asteroidal planet was discovered by Mr. Hind, of London, 

 on the evening of November 8th, 1853, in the constellation Taurus. 

 It is rather brighter then the stars of the 9th magnitude. This planet 

 is the 7th discovered by Mr. Hind. 



Mr. Hopkins, in his annual address before the British Association 

 made the following reference to the asteroidal planets : " All those 

 which have been recently recognized appear like stars of magnitude 

 not lower than the eighth or ninth, and are consequently invisible to 

 the naked eye. The search for them has now assumed, to a consider- 



*Sec table in Annual of Scientific Discovery, for 1853, p. 359. 



