386 Natural-Philosophical Collections. 



We therefore still assert, that all these motions described by Mr. Brown are 

 not inherent in the molecules by a new and unknown law ; that the author has 

 seen nothing but common motions, a thousand times appreciated even by persons 

 unacquainted with science ; and, lastly, that it is time to give up a subject which 

 can only tend more and more to compromise the renown of so illustrious a botanist. 

 — Annales des Sciences (T Observation, Jan. 1830. 



Construction of a Map of the Heavens, proposed by the Academy of Sciences 

 of Berlin, and executed at Florence; ij^ Professor Ingherami. — Nume- 

 rous attempts have been made to construct maps of the heavens, but without suc- 

 cess, for want of proper directions and means of execution. It was afterwards 

 thought that to obtain complete maps of this kind, it would be necessary first to 

 determine by meridian observations the greatest possible number of stars, in or- 

 der to refer the positions of all the other stars to them. 



But these observations, although often repeated, cannot give assurance that the 

 position of all the stars which are to be comprehended in the sphere of action of 

 the instruments of artificial vision, are perfectly determined. The history of the 

 heavens contains too small a number of stars to serve as a basis to maps, which 

 could be offered as complete, even were we to consider only the means of explo- 

 ration which we at present possess. The necessity of a new and more numerous 

 series of meridian observations has therefore been felt. They have recently been 

 undertaken at the Observatory of Konigsberg, upon a zone which extends from 

 15° to-j-15° of declination, and have already served to determine the position of 

 32,000 stars. 



With these materials, the Berlin Academy, on the 1st November 1825, pro- 

 posed to all the astronomers to contribute to the completion of a celestial atlas, 

 which should be divided into 24 sheets, and should have for its basis the zone of 

 30° in declination, of which mention was made above. Each sheet was to com- 

 prehend an hour of right ascension, with four anterior and 4 posterior minutes 

 additional, and this for the purpose of more eftectually connecting the various 

 parts. 



The object of the Berlin Academy was to obtain as perfect a knowledge of the 

 heavens as the present state of our instruments of observation may permit. While 

 Flamstead was forced to confine himself to maps, which presented only stars of 

 the 5th and 6th magnitudes, we may now include stars of the 9th and even the 

 10th, especially when they are not too near others of larger size. 



As maps of this kind would furnish the means of seeing at once whether in a 

 given region of the sky, there exists a star which has not yet been observed, there 

 is ground for hoping that comets and new planets will more frequently be dis- 

 covered, should any such remain unknown in our solar system ; and, moreover, 

 the position of all the visible stars being better determined by telescopes, it 

 would be more easy to find in future the place of a comet, which might show it- 

 self in the part of the heavens which might be subjected to so exact a scrutiny. 

 This important work was to be accomplished by the 1st January 1829. 



The celebrated astronomer Ingherami, known to the scientific world by many 

 useful investigations, was invited to contribute to the formation of the atlas pro- 

 posed by the Academy. To render homage to his talents, the Academy assign- 

 ed to him the 18th hour. This was the most difficult, for it contains tlie greater 

 part of the Milky Way comprised between the zone of -|- 15° and — 15° of de- 

 clination. The clearness of the Italian sky, and the excellence of the instru- 

 ments employed by M. Ingherami, were favourable to observation, and he has 

 finished his task before his fellow-labourers. We are sorry that we are unable 

 to give an account of the method which has so expeditiously led him to the most 

 brilliant success. We shall only say, that the map sent from Florence contains 

 about 7500 stars, of which only 1500 are found in the catalogues of Bradleg, 

 Piazzi, Lalande and Bessel. All the rest belong to M. Ingherami, who has 

 discovered them by regular means of observation. We also know that he has 



