VISIBILITY OF STARS. 5\ 



etars faintei than those of the sixth magnitude — have been 

 able to distinguish the satelhtes of Jupiter without a tele- 

 Bcope. The angular distance of the third and brightest sat- 

 eUite from the center of the planet is 4' 42" ; that of the 

 fourth, which is only one sixth smaller than the largest, is 

 8' 16" ; and all Jupiter's satellites sometimes exhibit, as Ar- 

 ago maintains, =^ a more intense light for equal surfaces than 



* Arago, in the Annuaire pour 1842, p. 284, and in the Compt€$ 

 Rendus, torn, xv., 1842, p. 750. (Schum., Astron. Nachr., No. 702.) 

 " ^have instituted some calculations of magnitudes, in reference to your 

 conjectures on the visibility of Jupiter's satellites," writes Dr. Galle, in 

 letters addressed to me, " but I have found, contrary to ray expecta- 

 tions, that they are not of the fifth magnitude, but, at most, only of the 

 sixth, or even of the seventh magnitude. The third and brightest sat 

 ellito alone appeared nearly equal in brightness to a neighboring star 

 of the sixth magnitude, which I could scai'cely recognize with the naked 

 eye, even at some distance from Jupiter; so that, considered in refer- 

 ence to the brightness of Jupiter, this satellite would probably be of the 

 fifth or sixth magnitude if it were isolated from the planet. The fourth 

 satellite was at its gi-eatest elongation, but yet I could not estimate it at 

 more than the seventh magnitude. The rays of Jupiter would not pre- 

 vent this satellite from being seen if it were itself brighter. Froin a 

 comparison of Aldebaran w'wh the neighboring star d Tauri, which is 

 easily i^ecognized as a double star (at a distance of 5^ minutes), I should 

 estimate the radiation of Jupit'er at five or six minutes, at least, for or- 

 dinary vision." These estimates coirespond with those of Arago, who 

 is even of opinion that this false radiation may amount in the case of 

 some persons to double this quantity. The mean distances of the four 

 satellites from the center of the main planet are undoubtedly 1' 51", 

 2' 57", 4' 42", and 8' 16". " Si nous supposons que I'image de Jupiter, 

 dans certains yeux exceptionnels, s'epanouisse seulement par des ray- 

 .ons d'une ou deux minutes d'amplitude, il ne semblera pas impossible 

 que les satellites soient de lems en tems aper^us, sans avoir besoin de 

 recourir k I'artifice de I'amplification. Pour verifier cette conjecture, 

 j'ai fait constniire ime petite lunette dans laquelle I'objectif et I'ocu- 

 laire ont a peu pres le meme foyer, et qui des lors ue grosrit point 

 Cette lunette ne detniit pas entierement les rayons divergents, mats 

 elle en reduit considerablement la longueur. Cela a suffi pour qu'uu 

 satellite convenablement ecarte de la planete, soit devenu visible. Le 

 fait a ete constate par tons les jeunes astronomes de I'Observatoire." 

 ** If we suppose that the image of Jupiter appeal's to the eyes of some 

 persons to be dilated by rays of only one or two minutes, it is net im- 

 possible that the satellites may from time to time be seen without the 

 aid of magnifying glasses. In order to verify this conjecture, I caused 

 a small instrument to be constructed in which the object-glass and tha 

 eye-piece had nearly the same focus, and which, therefore, did not mag 

 nify. This instrument does not entirely destroy the diverging rays, al 

 though it considerably reduces their length. This method has sufficed 

 to render a satelht-3 visible when at a sufficient distance from the planet. 

 This observation has been confirmed by all the young astronomers at 

 the Observa*;ory." (Arago, in iho Comptes Rendus, torn, xv., J 842, ]> 



rsi.) 



