376 Scientific Intelligence — Astronomy. 



The following is a catalogue of the species observed in the dust 

 of Gdnoa : — 



4. Calorific Power of the Light of the Moon. (^A Letter from 

 M. Meloni to M, Arago, and inserted in the Chemist, May 1846.) — 

 M. Melloni has shewn, beyond a doubt, that the rays of the moon 

 are calorific to a slight extent. It was done by concentrating the 

 rays of the moon with a lens over three feet in diameter, upon his 

 thermoscopic pile. The needle was found to deviate from 0°*6 to 

 4°*8, according to the phase of the moon. Numerous precautions 

 had to be attended to, so as to avoid all error arising out of currents 

 of air, &c. (J. L. S. — American Journal of Science and Arts, 

 vol. ii.. No. 5, p. 256.) 



6. The Central Sun. — At the close of the meeting (on the 14th 

 of December) of the Royal Irish Academy, Sir William Hamil- 

 ton announced that he had just received from Professor Msedler, 

 of Dorpat, the extraordiuary and exciting intelligence of the pre- 

 sumed discovery of a central sun. Professor Msedler's essay on the 

 subject (Die Central Sonne, Dorpat, 1846j was also exhibited by 

 Sir William Hamilton on the same evening to several members of 

 the Academy ; but, as this work may not for some time to come be 

 generally known, or indeed, easily procurable in this country, we 



* Biblioth. Univ. de Geueve, Supplement, No. 6, p. 203. 



