542 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



The new observatory possesses : 1. A Fraunhofer equatorial of 

 three inches aj)erture, suitable for a comet-seeker; and, 2. A large 

 equatorial by Aniici, of eleven inches aperture, of excellent quality. 

 Besides this, a small meridian-instrument is mounted in the meridian- 

 room. This room will subsequently contain a meridian-circle of seven 

 inches aperture, and a transit-instrument somewhat smaller. It is 

 proposed to have for this observatory a staff composed of a director 

 and five assistants. 



Observatory of Bologna : Director^ M. Palagi. The observatory 

 of the University of Bologna is one of the most ancient in Italy, and, 

 like all the observatories of the past century, it is placed on the top 

 of a high tower, which unfits it for precise observations. In the plan 

 proposed for the reorganization of the Italian observatories, this insti- 

 tution is to devote its labor to observations of physical astronomy. 

 It possesses a meridian-circle, by Ertel, of forty-two lines (3.5 French 

 inches) aperture, mounted in 1851, but now little used, and also a 

 DoUond equatorial of three inches aperture. Its collection of histori- 

 cal instruments is of high interest. 



Observatory of Modena : Director, M. Ragona. Modena is an as- 

 tronomical city, for in it or near it were born Amici, Secchi, Tacchini, 

 Ferrari, and other Italian astronomers. The Ducal Observatory is, 

 like that of Bologna, in a transition state. It was founded in 1819, by 

 Bianchi, and was provided with the best instruments of that time, but 

 it now will probably become the central meteorological station of the 

 surrounding states. Its meridian-circle is of four inches aperture 

 with three-feet circles, and was made by Fraunhofer and Reichenbach 

 in 1819, but requires some changes to bring it up to modern require- 

 ments. Its Amici equatorial has two and one-third inches aperture 

 only, and is thus too small for most astronomical purposes. Its col- 

 lection of meteorological and magnetic apparatus is, on the contrary, 

 very complete and noteworthy, and has been made, in most cases, 

 upon plans furnished by M. Ragona. 



Observatory of Padua : Director, M. Santini ; Astronomer, M. 

 Lorenzoni, This observatory dates from 1774, when this city was 

 placed under the protectorate of Venice, and wlien this powerful re- 

 public attracted the most celebrated professors to its university. It 

 is well situated for observations of precision, as the numerous cata- 

 logues of stars published by its celebrated director, now the oldest 

 living astronomer, testify snfiiciently. The principal instruments of 

 the observatory are a meridian-circle and an equatorial, both by 

 Starke the first of 117 millimetres (4.61 inches) aperture and with 

 one-metre (39.37 inches) circles ; the second with twelve centimetres 

 (4.74 inches) aperture and two metres (78.74 inclies) focal length. 

 There is also a spectroscope by Hoffmann. The two latter instruments 

 are used by Lorenzoni for daily observations of the solar protuber- 

 ances. The meridian-circle is employed in observations of the sun, 



