ASTRONOMY. 423 



Equatorial telescope of 4^ iDclies aperture, by Pike & Sons. 



Sextant, by Fautli & Co. 



The observatory was built as a working? observatory for the college 

 students in astronomy, and it will be chiefly devoted to this purpose. 

 Besides this, the work for the following year will be, (1) to furnish the 

 city and surrounding towns with correct time signals ; (2) to determine 

 the latitude and longitude; (3) to observe all occultations of stars that 

 are visible here. 



Cambridge (England) Observatory. — The total number of observations 

 made with the transit circle during the year was 3,253, including 2,442 

 observations of zone stars made on one hundred nights. The observa- 

 tions of clock stars and those of Polaris are completely reduced, and 

 the mean places for January 1 obtained up to the end of 1884. The true 

 apparent places of all other stars observed in 1884 are also obtained, 

 both in R. A. and K P. D. 



Christiania. — An equatorial of 360""™ aperture and G-8"> focal length 

 has been erected by Herr H. G. Olsen. {Sirins.) 



Cincinnati Observatory. — No. 8 of the publications of this observatory, 

 containing the observations of comets in 1883, has appeared during the 

 l>ast year (1885). "It is noteworthy as jnesenting a pretty complete 

 report on the phenomena of Pons' j^eriodical comet of 1812 at its reap- 

 pearance. The features of the tail were particularly studied, and the 

 discussion of the observations, based upon the theory of Dr. Bredichin, 

 has been found to add confirmation to that theory." These observations 

 were made by Mr. H. C. Wilson while in temporary charge. The ob- 

 servatory is now under the direction of Prof. J. G. Porter. 



Constantinople. — It is reported that the Sultan has ordered the erec- 

 tion of an astronomical and meteorological observatory at Constantinople.. 



Cordoba Observatory. — Dr. B. A. Gould returned to the United States 

 in April, 1885. He has been succeeded as director of the Cordoba Ob- 

 servatory by his first assistant. Dr. John M. Thome. Dr. Gould has 

 published as the final definitive position of the Cordoba meridian cir- 

 cle : Latitude, -31° 25' 15"-4G ; longitude, 4^ 16™ 48«-2 west of Greenwich. 



Dearborn Observatory. — Professor Hough's report for the year ending 

 May 20, 1885, states that the uieri<lian circle has been used for deter- 

 mination of time, which is furnished daily to the city of Chicago. A 

 fall description is given of a i)rinting chronograph. The work with 

 the great equatorial has been confined mainly to difficult double stars 

 and the planet Jupiter. Four sketches of Jupiter accompany the re- 

 port. The partial eclipse of the sun of March IG was observed for last 

 contact, and a number of dry-plate negatives were obtained. 



Denmore Observatory (1885).— Mr. W. H. Numsen has erected a small 

 private observatory near the city of Baltimore, and his 4-inch Cooke 

 equatorial has been devoted to the study of the physical features of 



