EEPORTS OP ASTRONOMICAL ORSKRVATOlUi: S. G45 



Madison, Daiie County, M'hcomln. 

 The Washburn Ob.servatory. 



Longitude from WasUingtoii, 49'" 2o«.8 W, 



Latitude, 43^ 4' 3G".7 N. 



Authority for latitude and longitude : A pier of the United States 

 Coast and Geodetic Survey, about 500 leet from the observatory, has 

 been connected by a triangulation with the transit-room, and (he posi- 

 tion given refers to the center of the transit circle. 



Director : Edward S. Holden , 



Assistants: S. W. Burn ham ; 

 G. C. CoiiSTOCK ; 



F. W. WlNKLEY. 



The main Observatory consists of a dome for the equatorial, wliich is 

 mounted, of a transit-room now ready for the Eepsold circle, and of a 

 director's room. A library and additional rooms are now building, as 

 an eastwing to the main building. A small student's observatory, built 

 by Professor Watson, contains a transit room for the Fauth transit, and 

 a dome large enough for an S-inch equatorial. The Watson Solar Ob- 

 servatory is still unfinished. The building will ])robal)ly bo finished 

 during the year. 



INSTRUjVIENTS : 



The following will be ordered in 1881 : 



(a) A meridian circle: maker, IIetsold & Brother, ITamburg; diam- 

 eter of circles, about 30 inches; divided to 2'; read by 4 microscopes to 

 1". Aperture of objective, 4.8 inches; for observations of the sun, a[)er- 

 ture emplojed, — inches ; magnifying power ordinarily empU^yed, — 

 diameters. 



The following instruments have been ordered : 



(b) Meridian transit instrument: makers, Fautii & Co., Washing- 

 ton; aperture, 3 inches ; magnifying power, (JO and llM) diameters. Tliis 

 will have two 12-inch circles divided on the edges: one circle to 10", 

 the other for setting only. The fine circle has a level for latitude. 



{c) Equatorial inntrument: makers, Alvan Clark & Sons; ajjcr- 

 ture of objective, 15.5 inches; magnifying powers of eye-pieces, 145 to 

 1200. 



(/) Chronof/raph: a chronograph by Fautii ^S: Co., with a conical 

 pendulum, is provided. 



{(j) Clocks : one mean time; makers, Setii TnoMAS Clock Comi'A.n v : 

 one sidereal ; maker, Honwu, of Amsterdam. 



{h) Chronometers : one sidereal, maker. Bliss, Xo. 278G; one sidereal 

 break-circuit, Bliss, No. 2791. 



Observations during the past year (from .lanuary, l.sso, to 

 January, 1881): 



(c) A coast survey transit (since renu)ved) was used in tlie i)rinie ver- 



