740 PROGRESS OF ASTRONOMY FOR 1891 AND 1892. 



Much interesting light has been thrown of late on Babylonian as- 

 tronomy by Fathers Epping and vStrassmaier. A series of" Inuar and 

 planetary observations has recently been fonnd in the cuneiform tablets 

 of the British Museum, and among others an observation of a lunar 

 eclii^se, one of the nine used by Ptolemy in his Almagest. Another 

 work of the same authors shows that the Babylonians were able to 

 predict the rising and setting of the moon, and the hour and magni- 

 tude of an eclipse. 



Mr. A. M. W. Downing, superintendent of the computations at the 

 Royal Observatory, Greenwich, was appointed to succeed Dr. Hind, 

 who retired from the position of snperintendent of the British Nautical 

 Almanac office on January 1, 1892. 



The Astronomische Cxesellschaft held its fourteenth biennial meeting 

 at Munich Augnst 5-7, under the presidency of M. Gylden. The society 

 numbers 318 members. 



A neic astronomical society. — An association was formed in Berlin, 

 in 1891, called the "Union of Friends of Astronomy and Cosmical 

 Physics,'"' for the ])uri)Ose of securing co-oi)eration in the study of these 

 sciences in the countries of central Europe. The strength of the new 

 society is perhaps best indicated by the names of its officers, Prof. 

 Lehmann-Filhes being president, and Ilerrn Forster, M. W. Meyer, 

 Plassmann, Jesse, Welnstein, and Eeimann the presidents of its six 

 sections. 



The question of the ownership of an aerolite has been referred for 

 settlement to the courts, and the decision reached is of some interest. 

 On May 2, 1890, an aerolite weighing 66 pounds fell on the land of 

 John Goddard, in Winnebago County, Iowa. It was dug up by Peter 

 Hoaglaud, carried to his house, and sold for 1105. Goddard claimed 

 it as it had fallen on his land, while Hoagland claimed it as he dis- 

 covered it and as it fell from heaven. In the suit that resulted the 

 court held that the stone became part of the soil on which it fell, and 

 that Hoagland had no right to remove it. The defense claimed that 

 whatever was movable and found on the surface of the earth unclaimed 

 by any owner was suj)j)osed to be abandoned by the proprietor. 



