48 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



[The following short papers were presented to the Academy at the regular 

 stated meeting of November 5, 1883, by the President] 



NOTE ON THE APPEARANCE OF SATURN. 



Upon turning 6.4-inch equatorial of the Davidson Ob- 

 servatory upon Saturn about nine o'clock in the evening of 

 October 29th, it was at once made evident that the object 

 was unusually steady for this region. 



I had failed to get any transit observations because the 

 spider lines of the reticules of the instrument were so limp 

 and slacked up by the excessive amount of moisture in the 

 atmosphere that they were unfit for work. Even when they 

 had been heated and straightened out, they lost their tension 

 in two or three minutes. The dew ran down the observatory 

 almost like rain. The evening was clear and pleasant, 

 and nearly calm, and the smoke of the city was to the south- 

 eastward. 



With a moderate power of 120 diameters, the Cassini divis- 

 ion of the ring of Saturn was visible all around, and the gauzy 

 or dusky innermost ring was made out. With a higher power 

 of 250 diameters, the details came out marvel ously clear and 

 sharp, notwithstanding frequent shiverings of the image 

 from atmospheric disturbance. The dusky ring was 

 wonderfully well defined on its inner edge, and the Cassini 

 division was distinct and well cut; the Encke division of the 

 outer ring was made out farther than given in the well known 

 Cambridge drawing. The shadow of the planet on the ring 

 was so well defined that the irregularity at the outer edge of 

 the B ring was unmistakable, the equatorial belt was broad 

 and white and well defined; the line of dark clouding along 

 the south border of this white belt was very distinct, and in 

 marked contrast therewith, thence to the pole, the globe was 

 rather deeply shaded; the edge of the planet, was traced 

 around on the edge of the ring by its difference of color; the 

 faint yellow-green olive tint of the planet was in marked 

 contrast with the yellowish-white of the ring; the principal 



