xxii GENERAL SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC AND 



The discoveries of small planets between Mars and Jupiter 

 Iiave not been so numerous as in tlie past year, only five hav- 

 ing certainly been added, though a sixth is suspected. The 

 following is the complete list, showing the numbers and dates 

 of discovery of these new additions to our system : 



No. Name. Discoverer. Date. 



129. Antigone Dr. C. H. F. Peters Februaiy 5, 1873. 



130. Electra Dr. C. II. F. Peters February 17, " 



131. Vala Borelli May 20, " 



132. (Not named) Watson July 29, " 



133? (Not named) Watson August IG, " 



134. Soplirosyne Luther September 27, " 



It is still doubtful whether Nos. 132 and 133 are not the 

 same planet. If they are not, the former must be considered 

 as lost. It was only observed on the night of its discovery, 

 cloudy weather preventing its being followed. On the 16th 

 of August, Professor Watson, as he supposed, again picked it 

 up, and followed it several weeks. On calculating a circular 

 orbit from this last series, the observation of the 29th of July 

 was not Avell represented ; but it is quite possible that all the 

 observations may be represented by an elliptic orbit, and thus 

 all the observations prove to be made on the same planet. 



The number of comets seen during the year amounts to the 

 unusual number of seven. Of these there were three periodic 

 ones, w^hich had been observed at previous returns to their 

 perihelion, and for w^hich the time of the present re-appear- 

 ance had been predicted with more or less accuracy, while the 

 other four were, so far as is yet known, entirely new. One 

 of the four, however, appears to be of very short period, re- 

 turning every five years, so that it is curious that it has nev- 

 er before been seen. The following is the complete list of 

 comets seen : 



Discovccr. ^^f^-^^ comet. 



I. Stephan,at Marseilles April 3 TempeFs Comet of 1867. 



II. Tempel, at Milan July 3 New comet of short period. 



III. Borelli, at Marseilles Aug. 20 New parabolic comet. 



IV. Henry, at Paris Aug. 23 New comet. 



V. Stephan, at Marseilles Sept. 1 Brorsen's comet of 184G. 



VI. Stephan, at Marseilles Sept. 3 Faye's comet of 1844. 



VII. Coggia, at Marseilles Nov. 10 Probably a new parabolic comet. 



The one event which has most enojaored the attention of 



