of the newly di/covered Star. 55 



in examining and contemplating it with great care; but, 

 notwithftanding all my exertions, and thofc made by my 

 affiftants CaccTatore and Carioli, both pofieffing excellent 

 fight, and accuftomed to viewing the heavens with a night 

 telefcope and an achromatic of four inches aperture, it was 

 not poflible to diftinguifh it from many others by which 

 it was furrounded, I was therefore obliged to be contented 

 with feeing it on the meridian for the fliort fpace of about 

 two minutes, that is, during the time it employed to pafs 

 over the field of the telefcope ; the other obfeivations, made 

 at the fame time, not permitting me to remove the inflru- 

 ment from its pofition. To render thefe obfervalions, how- 

 ever, more certain, while it was obferved by myfelf with a 

 circle, it was obferved at the fame time by Carioti with a 

 tranfit indrument. In this manner, the heavens being con- 

 ftantly nebulous, and often obfcured by thick clouds, our 

 obfervations were interrupted till the nth of February; after 

 which the ftar having approached very near to the fun, it was 

 no longer poffible to fee it at the time of its paf?lng the me- 

 ridian. I refolved then to fearch for it beyond the meridian 

 by the means of azimuths; but having fallen ill on the I3lh 

 of February, I was not able to make any further obfervations. 

 Thofe, however, which have been made, though not at the 

 neccflary diftarice to afcertain the real path wliich this ftar 

 purfues in the heavens, are fufficient, as far as I am able to 

 judge, to make known, with certainty, the nature of it; as 

 may be feen by the refults I have deduced from them. 



The magnifying power of the telefcope of the circle was 50, 

 and that ot the telefcope of the tranfit inftrument 80; whence 

 it was judged by Carioti that tlie new ftar is of the 7lh or 

 8th magnitude. 



II. Comhining In a parabola the two obfervations of the 

 ift and 19th of January with the third of the nth of Fe- 

 bruary, which were very good, I find the foUowina; refults : 

 Perihelion - ,- - ' 4^ 5"" 38' 36" 



Long. Q - - - 319 43 o 



Inclination - - - 10 34 o 



Loc. dift. of the perihelion r 0-3713077 



Pafiagc of the perihelion July i8ci - Z^^9^S 



As thefc elements, however, did nob agree with other ob- 

 fervations, I tried another parabola combming other obferva- 

 tions, and experienced the fame difficulties. HeflciSing after- 

 wards, that to make the two obfervations, that of the ift of 

 January and that of the nth of February, agree, it was ne- 

 ceflarv to fuppofe o'z6 of difference bctweeathe radius vcdor 

 correfponding to the firft, and the other corrcfponding to the 

 P 4 fecond. 



