68 RefleSl'ions on the neiu Vianet. 



eminent, men were of opinion that it was not pnffible for one 

 or two al'tronomers to examine all the telefcopic ftars of the 

 whole zodiac in fearch of this concealed planet. Six aftro- 

 nomers then alVembled at Lilienlhal refolved therefore, on 

 the 2 1 ft of September i^oo, to eftablifti a fociety of tweutv- 

 four practical aftronomers difperfed throughout different parts 

 of Europe, for the cxprefs purpole of fearching out this planet 

 fuppofed to exirt between Mars and Jupiter. They elc6led 

 Mr. Schroter as their prefident; and I had the honour of 

 being chofen their perpetual fecretary. Tlic plan of the fo- 

 ciety was to divide the whole zodiac among the twenty-four 

 members, each of whom was to have affigned to him, by 

 lot, a zone of 15" of longitude, and of from 7 to 8° of north 

 and fouth latitude. Each member was to conftrutt a new 

 celeftial chart of his department, comprehending the fmalleft 

 ftars, and, by repeated examination of the heavens, to afcer- 

 tain the true ftate of his diltricl, and whether it contained 

 that wandering body. By this inftitution we entertained 

 hopes that this ftar, which had fo long eluded our refearches, 

 ■would be at length traced out. In the name of the fociety 

 I wrote to ieveral of the moft celebrated praftical aftronomers 

 in Europe, inviting them to concur in this general objeft ; 

 and almoft all of them agreed to the invitation with great 

 readinefs*. Some of the members, who have already begun 

 their labours with great diligence, have tranfmitted, for our 

 infpeftion, very intereliing information; and though our 

 infant fociety may be deprived of the honour of firft difcover- 

 ing this planet, not only is the iuppofed difcoverer of it 

 among the number of its members, though the uncertain 

 ftate of conveyance by poft or by fea, in confequence of the 

 war, has hitherto prevented us from tranfmitting our invita- 

 tion to Palermo, but the fociety has already contributed a 

 great deal, and will ftill contribute more, towards corre6ting 

 our catalogues of the ftars : and as this is not the only ob- 

 ject of the fociety in the extenlive province of aftronomy, its 

 labours, by being continued, muft be of confiderable utility. 

 In the month of February, this year (1801), I received a 

 letter from Lalandc at Paris, in which he informed me, that 

 Piazzi, aftronomcr at Palermo, had difcovered, on the ift of 

 January, a fm;.ll comet in the (houlder of Taurus ; it appear- 



' The only altroiiomi.rs who bcy;g^cl to be excufed were profeilor Snia- 

 decki of Cracow, and profellbr Wurni of BiHubeueni. The former, be- 

 caufe, the univerfity of Cracow bcin^ fupprelltd, he was conlcquently 

 obliged to leave the (ibilrvatorv r the latter, on accovint of the want of in- 

 ftrumcnts. But this difficulty was removed by princely munificence. The 

 duke of Gotha lent profclfor Wurm a 7 feet rtfledtor by Herfchel, and 

 the duchcfs an aftronomicai ciock. 



ed 



