94 



Chronicles of Science. 



[Jan., 



peculiarities wliich have been observed by all our leading tele- 



scopists. 



Mars wiU have a high northern declination during the next four 

 months, and therefore his definition will be good, in ordinary 

 observing weather, when he is on or near the meridian. 



Many observers have been successful in obtaining good views of 

 the recent transit of Mercury. Amongst the observations, the most 

 important are those which were made at Greenwich under the 

 superintendence of the Astronomer Eoyal. He was enabled to 

 employ no less than six telescopes, including the great equatorial, 

 in observing the transit. In every instance the planet was observed 

 cither to assume a balloon shape, or to throw out a ligament, as it 

 approached the edge of the sun's disc. Mr. Airy remarks that he 

 had always been disposed to refer the peculiarities seen dm-ing the 

 transits of Venus in 1761 and 17 09 to the imperfections of the 

 telescopes employed, but having now seen what has happened with 

 telescopes unimpeachable in character, he thinks diflerently. He 

 ascribes the peculiarities to the effects of irradiation. "With the 

 great equatorial, Mr. Stone could see no trace of any spot upon the 

 disc of Mercury. He could see a ring of light round the planet. 



Mr. Huggins observed the transit with his 8-inch equatorial, 

 using the full aperture. The weather was on the whole favourable, 



