5*0 Royal Astronomical Society : Anniversary, 1844. 



responded to by the Government ; and the funds adequate for this 

 purpose were placed in the hands of the Astronomer Royal, by whose 

 active superintendence and control this important and laborious 

 operation has been at length brought to a close*. The results of 

 these computations are now almost ready for the press, and the 

 public will soon be gratified by the publication of a body of informa- 

 tion that must tend to throw considerable light on the elements of 

 the lunar theory, and thus exhibit one of the most splendid proofs 

 of the utility and advantage of this national establishment. 



Connected with the same subject, and emanating in some mea- 

 sure therefrom, the Council are pleased in being able to announce 

 that the Government has also complied with the request of the 

 Astronomer Royal, to construct another building, attached to the 

 Royal Observatory, for the erection of an altitude and azimuth in- 

 strument, intended for the sole purpose of making a greater and a 

 more regular number of observations of the moon in various parts of 

 her orbit ; in order that all the practical means might be afforded 

 for obtaining a more perfect knowledge of the lunar theory. The 

 instrument here proposed is in some measure novel in its construc- 

 tion, and has been suggested by the Astronomer Royal, who antici- 

 pates certain advantages that are unattainable, or scarcely to be ex- 

 pected, in instruments of the usual form and construction. By 

 means of this new instrument it is proposed that on every day of 

 the year, when the state of the atmosphere will permit, the moon 

 shall be observed at convenient hours, and in every suitable posi- 

 tion, according to a plan suggested by the Astronomer Royal for 

 securing the most important results. 



The following Fellows were elected Officers and Council for the 

 ensuing year, viz. — 



President: — Francis Baily, Esq., F.R.S. — Vice-Presidents: 

 George BiddellAiry,Esq.,M.A.,F.R.S., Astronomer Royal : Augustus 

 De Morgan, Esq. ; Rev. Richard Sheepshanks, M.A., F.R.S. ; the 

 Right Hon. Lord Wrottesley, M.A., F.R.S. — Treasurer: George 

 Bishop, Esq. — Secretaries: Thomas Galloway, Esq., M.A., F.R.S. ; 

 Rev. Robert Main, M.A. — Foreign Secretary : Captain W.H. Smyth, 

 R.N., K.S.F., D.C.L., F.R.S.— Council: Samuel H. Christie, Esq., 

 M.A., F.R.S. ; George Dollond, Esq., F.R.S. ; Bryan Donkin, Esq., 

 F.R.S. ; Rev. George Fisher, M.A., F.R.S. ; John Lee, Esq., LL.D., 

 F.R.S. ; Edward Riddle, Esq. ; Captain James Clark Ross, R.N., 

 F.R.S.; William Rutherford, Esq. ; Lieut.-Colonel Edward Sabine, 

 F.R.S. ; Lieutenant William S. Stratford, R.N., F.R.S. 



* The following correction on this subject appears in the Society's 

 Monthly Notices for March : — 



" The Council take the earliest opportunity to correct a misstatement 

 in their Report to the General Meeting of February last, concerning the 

 reduction of the ancient Greenwich Lunar Observations at the Royal 

 Observatory. It is stated [as above] that ' the work has been at length 

 brought to a close.' This is not the case, but it is in a state of great for- 

 wardness ; the tabular places have been computed throughout, and the 

 labour of an additional year will probably complete the reduction of the ob- 

 servations." 



