68G EEPORTS OF ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORIES. 



LAND ill 1875-187G, and taken up by Mr. Dreyer in September 1878)^ 

 were finislied in the summer 1880, each star being observed four times 

 or oftener. The reductions to the epoch 1875.0 were nearly finished by 

 the end of the year. 



The south equatorial lias been employed entirely in observations for 

 annual parallax by Dr. Ball. During 1880 a series for Groombiidge 

 1G18 was completed, and from the distances of + 50°, 1724, a parallax of 

 + 0". 319G ± .052 has been concluded; for Gr. 1G18 a series for P III 

 242, recommended by Struve (M.N. vol. xx, p. 8), gives a parallax of 

 — 0".045 i O".07O {M.^., November, 1880). A series for Schj. 249 {a) 

 (red stars) has been completed, but not reduced, and a series for fy 

 Cephei and e 2480 have been commenced. The sweeping observations 

 described in Dunsink Observations, Part III, have also been continued. 

 Work proposed for the coming year (1881): 



The meridian circle is proposed to be employed in a reobservatiou of 

 ArGtELANder's southern zones, commencing with the zone — 15° to 

 — 20°, and extending perhai^s a few degrees more south if it appears 

 j)racticable. 



The equatorial is proposed to be employed in a continuation of the 

 parallax observations, much of which work is at present in hands. 

 Principal publications of the observatory: 



EoBERT S. Ball: Elements of Astronomy, London, 1 vol., 459 p. 



EoBERT S. Ball: On the Parallax of P III 242. M.X., November, 

 1880. 



J. L. E. Dreyer : A record of the progress of astronomy during the 

 year 1879. Proceedings of the Royal Dublin Society. 



Dun Echt, Scotland. 

 Private Observatory. 



Longitude from Greenwich, 9"' 40'' W. 



Latitude, 57° 9' 3G" N. 



Authority for longitude: Ordnance Survey; for latitude, observa- 

 tions with a SiMMS alt-azimuth. The transit circle confirms the result 

 within a fraction of a second. 



Astronomer : Ralph Copeland, Ph. I). 



Assistant : J. G. LoiiSE. 



Computer : H. J. Carpenter. 



General meelianic : T. Kirkwood. 



Messenger and meteorology reader : J. McPherson. 



Dun Echt Observatory, the property of the Earl of Crawford and 

 Balearres (late Lord Lindsay), is on the estate of Dun Echt, about 13 

 miles west of Aberdeen. 



Height above the sea, 4G4 feet to cistern of standard barometer. 



