112 ON THE NEW RING OF SATURN. 



" 8''- P. M. Cannot be sure of a division between the new and old rings (other than 

 their difference of light). Once or twice with the higher powers one was suspected. 



" On further examination we agree that the dark ring is narrower than the outer 

 ring. Its inner edge may be as far from the inner edge of the broad ring as two thirds 

 of the breadth of the outer ring." 



On the same evening the following notes were entered by Mr. C. W. Tuttle : — 



" 1 notice a faint penumbral light on the inside of the interior (old) ring at its great- 

 est apparent elongation from the ball as seen on previous nights. This light resembles 

 that of the unilluminated part of the moon's disc, as it appears for a few days preceding 

 and following conjunction with the sun. Its estimated width is about the same as that 

 of the outer ring, or a little less, and it appears the same on either side of the ball. The 

 greatest width of this dark ring is at the same point on each side where the bright 

 rings appear broadest. Where it crosses between us and the ball, it appears as a dark 

 line on the disc close to the inside edge of the bright ring. The inner edge is sharply 

 defined, but I cannot see that it is detached from the old ring." 



The appearances above described had been noticed on many occasions prior to the 

 above dates, but their true explanation was first ascertained on the evening of November 

 15th. On that night an almost perfect tranquillity of the atmosphere afforded an inval- 

 uable opportunity of viewing the phenomena of the rings. The fact of the existence 

 of a dusky ring hitherto unknown contained in the space between the old ring and the 

 ball could no longer be questioned. 



During the remainder of its apparition, Saturn was scrutinized on nearly every clear 

 night, but up to the end of the year the state of the atmosphere was at no time equally 

 fine with that on the 15th of November. The new ring was, however, always to be 

 recognized when the definition was moderately good. 



The concurring testimony of Messrs. Dawes and Lassell to the existence of this re- 

 markable appendage to the old system of rings surrounding Saturn confirms the accuracy 

 of our observations to their full extent. Whether or not the new ring is separated into 

 two, as suggested by Mr. Dawes, or whether a division exists between it and the bright 

 ring, its exact dimensions, &c. must remain as questions to be decided by future obser- 

 vations, for which, fortunately, the position of the planet is becoming every year more 

 favorable. 



In the engraving accompanying this paper, the outer ring is represented somewhat 

 too narrow. As a consequence, the inner edge of the new ring should be brought nearer 

 to the ball to preserve its correct proportion to the width of the outer ring. The width 

 of the new ring being nearly two seconds of arc. 



