446 



The Astronomical 



order to direct the attention of astro- 

 nomers to these points which appear 

 most worthy of encouragement, they 

 will here state some of the principal 

 subjects on which they have at present 

 decided to bestow such rewards. In 

 the first place, they propose to bestow 

 the modal for the discovery of iiuy new 

 planet, satellite, or comet: or for the 

 re-discovery of any old comet, or of 

 any stars that have disappeared. Con- 

 sidering also the great importance (both 

 in a nautical and in a geographical 

 point of view) of having accurate ob- 

 servations of the eclipses of Jupiter's 

 satellites and of occultaf ions of stars by 

 the moon, they think that tlie mrdal 

 should be given for any considerable 

 collection, not onlyof original observa- 

 tions of this kind, but also of well au- 

 thenlifated recorded observations, re- 

 duced to tlie mean time of the meridian 

 of some well knoAvn observatory. Obser- 

 vations likewise on the positions of the 

 fixed stars, tending either to the enlai-ge- 

 menl and perfection of our present cata- 

 logues, or to the more accurate determi- 

 nation of the variable ones, in size, co- 

 lour, or situation ; — as well as observa- 

 tions on double stars, tending, in like 

 manner, not only to the enlargement antl 

 pel fectioa of the present catalogues, but 

 also to the determination of their an- 

 gular distance, and of their angle of 

 position ; — togetlier with observations 

 on nebula;, appear proper subjects of 

 such reward. To these may be added, 

 observations on refraction, with a view 

 to the more perfect theory of that phe- 

 nomenon ; particularly at low altitudes, 

 where irregularities take place, when 

 little or no variation has taken place 

 in the barometer or thermometer : ob- 

 servations on the tides, particularly iu 

 situations where the current is not in- 

 fluenced by any contiguous continent, 

 as will be more fully alhuled to in the 

 sequel: observations tending to deter- 

 mine the true figure of tlie sun, or of 

 the earth : — and, in short, any obser- 

 vations which maybe considered likely 

 to advance and improve the science. 



But, it is not to observations atone, 

 tliat the council would wish to confine 

 the bestowing of the Society's medal. 

 The reduction of observations when 

 made is auotlier and oftentimes a more 

 laborious task : and, without the latter 

 the former would be of little or no 

 service to the astronomer. To this 

 subject, therefore, the council wish to 

 ■invite the attention of the computer; 

 as well as to the formation of more 



Society of London. [June], 



simple and easy tables, for the reduc- 

 tion of astronomical observations, than 

 those at present iu existence. The 

 formation of new tables for the more 

 recently discovered planets, as well 

 as more acurate tables of tlie sun, moon, 

 and other planets, together with those 

 of Jupiter's satellites, is a subject too 

 important to need the recommendation 

 of this society. The comparison like- 

 wise of the places of any of these bo- 

 dies, observed iu the present century 

 at any of the principal obserrdtories, 

 with their places deduced from the 

 most approved tables, but more parti- 

 cularly those of the moon, is an object 

 worth}' of encoiirageiuent. Iu (lis 

 latter case, however, it viould be d<;- 

 sirable that the uunicrical va.lue of th« 

 arguments of the principal equations 

 should beannexed to each comparison ; 

 and tliat, iu all cases, the principles on 

 which the deductions are made should 

 he fully and clearly stated. But, in- 

 dependeut of these subjects, there are 

 many other useful tables tending to 

 facilitate astronomical calculations, 

 some of a permanent and others of a 

 temporary or local nature, which would 

 be a great assistance to the practical 

 astronomer, and worthy the patronage 

 of this society, And, without particu- 

 larizing such subjects, the council wish 

 it in be understood that these are 

 amongst the objects which they are 

 desirous to reward with the society's 

 medal . 



With respect to instruments, the 

 council propose to bestow the medal 

 for every improvement wliich may tend 

 materially to advance tive science*. 

 Th(!y would mention, however, as a 

 few amongst the desiderata, an instru- 

 ment for determining the apparent 

 magnitudes of the stars, or of ascertain- 

 ing a correct scale whereby astrono- 

 mers may be enabled to express them- 

 selves in one common language on this 

 subject. Likewise a simple but efTec- 

 tual contrivance for enabling an ob- 

 server to determine the right ascension 

 and declination of small stars, without 

 the necessity of illuminating tlie field 

 of the telescope. And a method of ap- 

 plying the reflecting telescope to transit 

 or circular instruments, in as conve- 

 nient and useful a manner as the re- 

 fracting telescope.* 



* Tlie society then propose the question 

 g-iven in our last, relative to the system of 

 Saturu, but unhappily adopt the notion of 

 UitfavHen as a modifying cause ; though 



the 



