34 



Modern astronomers have looked to this object principally 

 with a view of ascertaining whether any apparent annual 

 motion of the fixed stars, from this cause, existed necessary 

 to be noticed, in computing the mean place from the 

 observed. 



Dr. Bradley, by his celebrated observations, which led 

 him to the discovery of the aberration of light, first esta- 

 blished that as to certain stars no parallax existed capable 

 of being noticed. His observations were made with an in- 

 strument, that, for observations near the zenith, has not 

 since been surpassed. 



Since his time it seems to have been generally allowed, 

 that the annual parallax of every fixed star was too small 

 to be noticed, till lately M. Piazzi, of Palermo, conceived 

 that his observations pointed out a parallax in certain stars. 

 An account of his conclusions is given in the Conn, des 

 Temps, 1808, together with an account of some observa- 

 tions made at Rome on a Lyrs. 



My observations, by the eight feet circle, which com- 

 menced in 1808, have pointed out also a parallax in a Lyra, 

 but considerably less than that observed by M. Piazzi. It is 

 only with respect to this star and Arcturus that our conclu- 

 sions agree in pointing out a parallax.* My observations 



* I can only refer to the account of M. Piazzi's observations given in the Con. des 

 Temps. 1808, p. 4'32. In which it is mentioned that the observations themselves are 

 to be found in the 10th vol. of the Italian Society. By the account in the Con. des 

 Temps, it appears that M. Piazzi observed in Procyon, a parallax of declination, such 



