.l86 Iranjlt of Mercury. 



I have again carefully calculated the perturbations of the 

 new planet. They are exceedingly numerous; neverthelel'a 

 i have obtained only an approximation very far di'^ant from 

 that perteclion to which artrononiers alpire. 1 he applica- 

 tion of l"o many equations to calculntion ib attrndod with fe- 

 veral difficulties, and requires many trials, principally on ac- 

 count of the groat incqu:;1ity. I have not yet finiflied them^ 

 but I hope it will be a gratification to aftrononiers to be 

 made acquainted with the primitive orbit which I had cal- 

 culated wiihout employing perturbations, and corrected 

 according to the lalett obfervatioiis ; a labour which was in- 

 terrupted only for two days by the refearches. 1 began em- 

 ploying the perturbations — 

 Node fja" 27'' 35 — inclination 34° 38^0" — longitude of the 



perihelium 131^ 13' 19": on the 4th of April 1803, its 



motion + 2'3 ' per day. 

 Mean anomaly, April 4th, at loh. 51' \f\ 43^ 3i'9". 

 Great femi-axis a^oggij ; eccentricity 0'3463. 

 Sidereal revolution 1683 days 20 hours. 



Thei'e elements reprefent the five obfcrvations in tlie fol- 

 lowing manner : 



Errors Apr. 4. IVIav 20. Julv 5. Aug.;. Sen. 20. • 



Helioc. in long. 4-1-4" + ro'' —i-''->'' —o-6" — 6-o'^ 



-inlat. o-o -37 —3-5 +i3'5-i«-3 



Geoc. m lat. - - - 4-ii— 13. 



Obi'ervtrs — Von Zach, Lefrangais-Mechain, Mechain, 

 Meliier, and Burckhardt. 



With thefe elen)enis it is found that the planet on the 

 4th of Feb. 1803, at midnight, \\\\\ have 267^^ 41' right af- 

 cenfion, and 5^ 38' north declination ; which ditfers only a 

 few minutes from the pofition which Dr. Gaufs deduced 

 from his element.''., 'i'hat able aftronomer could cmplov ob- 

 fcrvations only to the 81I1 of .luly, and liill propui'es to rectify 

 his cli-nicuts by later obfcrvations. 



I hope this refult will be coiifirnied when I have deter- 

 mined an cliipfc by employing tiie jicrturbations. 



BURCKHAllDT, 



Nov, 13, »So>. ofiihe Bureau of Longitude. 



TU.\NSIT OF MKUCUKV OVER THE SUN. 



The weather on the ylh of November v.-as favourable to 

 the wilhes of altrououiers, vvlu) had an excellent opportunity 

 of obicrving this pha?nonienon. For the information of our 

 philofophical readers we prefent them with thofe obfcrvations 

 of the iraiifil which have reached us. ^In a future number 

 x^e Oiall give other details receding il. 



Ltrccbt^ 



