GENERAL SUMMARY 



OF 



SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTEIAL PROGKESS 

 DURING THE YEAR 1876. 



ASTRONOMY. 



By EDWARD S. HOLDEN, 



Pbofessor of Mathematics, United States Navy. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In presenting a review of the progress of Astronomy during tlie 

 past year, it is to be remembered tliat the principal results reached 

 are such as can be readily classified under appropriate heads, and 

 there are but few in this year, as in every year, which call for espe- 

 cial and peculiar mention. The successful application of photogra- 

 phy to the registration of star spectra by Huggins and Draper, how- 

 ever, constitutes a most important step in the j^rogress of stellar 

 physics. Many publications of standard value have been made, 

 such as the "Observations of the Zodiacal Light," by Heis; the 

 " General Catalogue of Double Stars," by Burnham ; the zones of 

 nebulae observed by Vogel at Leipzig ; Langley's and Sj)oerer's so- 

 lar investigations, and many others. A most striking advance is 

 the growing tendency of astronomers to an economical division of 

 labor, as, for example, in the prosecution of the zones of the Ger- 

 man Astronomical Society ; in the computation of comet orbits under 

 the auspices of the same society, etc. A praiseworthy example of 

 co-operation is shown by the Italian observatories, which have di- 

 vided the field of work according to plans originally devised by 

 Tacchini. By a loyal and zealous co-operation, the whole energy 

 of the astronomers of Italy is judiciously applied to the subjects of 

 work in hand, so that each observatory has its especial field, and 

 contributes its full share to the general progress. 



The true progress of observational astronomy is to be forwarded 

 by the faithful carrying out of well-devised plans. The number of 



