tiutory of Astronomy for the Year 1S06. 73 



With a 40-foot telescope, rnacnifving 360 times, he saw 

 the same. The axis is 32°, the equator 35°; the diameter 

 of the greatest curvature 60°. 



In this he finds the erl'ect of gravitation upon the figure of 

 the planets : there arc here two centripetal and two centri- 

 fugal powers, since he has proved the two ro tations of the 

 planet and of the ring. 



The most distant ring turns sensibly. The division be- 

 tween the rings is obscure, as is the space between them. 



The publication of the second volume of Bradley's Ob- 

 servations for 1756, and subsequent years, has been an in- 

 teresting object to us. Those of his successor are added, 

 and this volume joins those of Mr. Maskelyne, which begin 

 in 1765. 



Among the curious observations of this year we may 

 reckon that of the annual parallax of the stars, which 

 ]Vi . Calandrelli thought he recognised in several stars. M. Pi- 

 azzi had given some results upon this subject, which I have 

 mentioned in the history of the former year. 



The parallax of the Lyre in. decimation is 0-875 of the ab- 

 solute parallax ; it passes nearly enough the zenith. M. Pi- 

 azzi has observed it a great deal. But we are almost tempted 

 to draw from the observations of M. Piazzi a consequence 

 contrary to that which he wishes to establish; it is, that the 

 parallax of the stars still escapes our measurements : if it 

 was large enough to be measured, the declination would not 

 be always the surest method to employ. To conclude : 

 M. Piazzi proposes to continue his researches; and M. Ca- 

 landrelli, at Rome, has given two memoirs upon the parallax 

 of the Lyre. 



Roma, ISOG, in 8vo. Kissvltato di varie Osservazioni 

 sopra la Parallase annua di IVcga. The parallax is found at 

 5" v;ith a 9-foot sector. The observations agree well enough 

 to encourage him to think that this parallax really exists ; 

 which has not been hitherto believed. 



We received in the month of December some OpiiscoU 

 aslromnnici, printed at Rome by Messrs. Calandrelli and 

 Conti, twenty pages in quarto, wherein there are six me- 

 moirs, 

 3 



