Astronomy-^Optics. 



167 



the thermometer, the one in the sun had its bulb wrapped in very thick 

 soft black silk, and exposed above a bunch of white paper on a stone bal- 

 cony fronting the south. The result from the one in the shade ought uni- 

 formly to be diminished one degree. The thermometer was not perhaps 

 sufficiently sensible to denote the minute changes which may have taken 

 place during the eclipse in the shade ; but the instrument in the sun, which 

 was both excellent and sensitive, shows the eflPect of the observation in di- 

 minishing, and even counteracting the natural increase of heat at this 

 period of the day, and afterwards of accelerating it to a great degree as the 

 shadow went off. As there were no clouds of any kind, adventitious altera- 

 tions did not interfere. a. 



2. Opposition of Vesta to the Sun. — This planet was in opposition to 

 the sun on the 'l5th December, in R. ascension, 5^^ 30' 40" and N. Decli- 

 nation, 19° 15'. The following are the places of this planet. 



R. Asc Decl. N. 



1828, June 1. 5^ 12' 27" 19° 47' 



2. 5 11 28 19 49 



3. 5 10 30 19 52 



3. Opposition of Juno to the Sun in March 1828. — This planet will be 

 in opposition to the sun on the 25th March in R. Asc. 12.^ 27' 52" and 

 Decl. N. 2° 15'. The following are the positions of this planet given by 

 Mr Taylor for March and April. 



4. iV 



gen has discovered a small variable star in the Serpent. Its position for 

 1800 is in right ascension 235° 22' 3" and in north declination 15° 44' 48". 

 Its period seems to be about 11 months. When smallest it is entirely 

 invisible. — Phil. Mag. 



OPTICS. 



5. On the Luminous Appearance of the Ocean.* By J. Henderson, Esq. 

 — On the 5th of March 1821, when on board the licensed ship Moffat, in 

 N. latitude 2°, and W. longitude 21° 20', a strange anomaly occurred in 

 the phosphorescent appearance of the sea, and one which, as far as I am 



From the Transactions of the Medical and Physical Society of Calcutta, vol. i. 



p. 107. 



