ZONE OF PLANETS BETWEEN MAES AND JUPITER. 65 



private residence in the Kegent's Park, London. So 

 early as April, 1845, a search for planetary bodies was 

 commenced, but in consequence of other classes of ob- 

 servation, no systematic plan of examination of the 

 heavens was attempted. In November, 1846, a rigorous 

 search was undertaken, the Berlin Academical charts be- 

 ing employed as far as they extended; while ecliptic 

 charts, including stars to the tenth magnitude, were 

 formed for other parts of the heavens, where the ecliptic 

 passes beyond the limits of the Berlin maps. On the 

 13th of August, 1847, after nine months' close observa- 

 tion on the above system, an object resembling a star of 

 the eighth magnitude was discovered, which was not 

 marked on the corresponding Berlin map. Its planetary 

 nature being immediately suspected, it was attentively 

 observed, and in less than half an hour the motion in 

 right ascension was detected. In the course of an hour 

 the planet had retrograded two seconds of time, a suffi- 

 cient change of place to be indubitable. An announce- 

 ment of the discovery was made to astronomers generally 

 on the following morning, and observations were soon 

 obtained at most of the European observatories. At the 

 suggestion of Mr. Bishop the planet was named Iris. The 

 symbol is due to Professor Schumacher, and is composed 

 of a semicircle representing the rainbow, with an interior 

 star, and a base line for the horizon. Several observers 

 have remarked decided variations in the light of this 

 planet, which are not accounted for by change of distance 

 from the earth and sun, and which there is strong reason 



