T H E 



PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE 



AND 



ANNALS OF PHILOSOPHY. 



[NEW SERIES.] 



AUGUST 1827. 



A 



XVI. On the Roi/al Observatory at Palermo. 



NEW volume has just appeared of the Astronomical 

 Observations made at this celebrated observatory, edited 

 by M. Cacciatore. The preceding volumes were published 

 under the superintendence of the late illustrious conductor of 

 that observatory, M. Piazzi : and the present volume, which 

 may be considered as a continuation of that work, is the pro- 

 duction of his distinguished successor. The work contains 

 not only the observations made by M. Cacciatore himself, but 

 also the result of many observations made by his predecessor 

 not hitherto published. It extends therefore over several years. 

 As the form, in which the observations of Palermo are pub- 

 lished, differs from that of every other observatory, and pos- 

 sesses many advantages over the ordinary method, it may be 

 acceptable to our readers to see a brief abstract of the con- 

 tents of the present volume. 



Instead of presenting a regular journal of daily observations, 

 in the order in which they were recorded, we are here fur- 

 nished with a number of interesting dissertations on various 

 branches of the science, arising out of the observations that 

 have, from time to time, been made. The observations, re- 

 lative to each subject, arc selected and brought together un- 

 der one liead : first, the observations as they were made, and 

 as they stand in the observation book ; secondly, as reduced 

 either to the day of observation, or to some other given epoch. 

 In this latter shape they are presented to astronomers in an 

 useful and tangible form ; and can readily and instantly be 

 made use of, as occasion nuiy retiuire. 



Thus, in the case of the p/w/u/x (whicli is the subject of the 

 first chapter), ail the observations relative thereto are taken 



New Series. Vol.2. No. 8. Aug. 1827. M out 



