390 Astronomical Society. 



the theorems, to which this method gives rise, are of great simplicity, 

 the author considers them as deserving attention. 



The Society then adjourned over the Long Vacation, to the loth of 

 November. 



ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY. 



March 9. — The following communications were read: — 

 I. A Letter from Mr. Snow to the Secretary, dated Jan, 2, 1832 : 

 " I have the pleasure to say that I observed the late occultations 

 of 1 19 and 120 Tauri, and of Regulus. 



"119 rawri before its occuitation was gradually approaching the 

 moon's dark limb, but it did not disappear until it reached the bright 

 part of the moon, and vanished quite instantaneously upon touching 

 the summit of a long, irregular, lunar mountain, without suffering the 

 smallest alteration in colour or light before its disappearance. 



" 120 Tauri was not quite so certainly observed, as it disappeared 

 just before it reached the bright part of the moon, which I was in iiopes 

 it would not have done. At the time the occultation of 119 Tauri 

 took place, the moon wanted about 5'' of coming to the meridian, and 

 was so nearly full when on the meridian, that both limbs were observed 

 over the wires of the transit-instrument, and gave a semidiameter 

 agreeing very nearly with that set down in the Nautical Abuanack: 

 the moon's R.A. thus determined was 5'' 31"' 3-"54. However, when 

 the occultation took place, the quantity that the moon wanted of being 

 full was too small to be estimated by the eye." (Telescope 42-inch 

 refractor J power 120.) 



This letter was accompanied by a printed extract from the Biblio- 

 theque Universelle of July 1831, containing Baron Zach's observation 

 of the immersions and emersions of Jupiter's satellites on June 1, 

 183 1 ; and also a notice of an astronomical board established in China, 

 which appears to be the same as the well-known Tribunal of Matlie- 

 matics. The number of members at present is seven, of whom three 

 are Europeans. 



IL Observations of the comets of 1830 and 1831, by different ob- 

 servers ; also various computations of the elements of the said comets. 

 Collected by Baron Zach, and communicated by Mr. Snow, 



The.se observations, which were made in April and May 1830, and 

 from January to March 1 83 1 , consist of right ascensions and declina- 

 tions, and come from the observatory at Greenwich, Sir James South 

 at Kensington, MM. Gambart at Marseilles, Wartmann at Geneva, 

 Gautier at Chougny, Valz at Nismes, Encke at Berlin, and Rumker 

 at Hamburg, The elements are by MM. Rumker, Valz, and Peters 

 of Copenhagen. 



III. Emersion of .^WebaraK on Feb. 10, 1832, by the Rev. M.Ward. 

 N. latitude 52° 43' 45"- 18. W. longitude 8™ 46'-8. 



h m ■ 



Instantaneous emersion of Aldebaran 2 5/ 289 



Aidebaran transited mid. svire of circle 4 26 1.3'3 



West limb of }) ditto ditto 4 28 51-3 



Daily gain of the clock Ifi3 



