66 HISTORY OF ASTKONOMY. 



to suppose are in a great measure independent of atmos- 

 pheric conditions. 



Continuing the plan of observation already described, 

 Mr. Hind noticed, on the 18th of October, 1847, in the 

 constellation Orion, a star of the eighth or ninth magni- 

 tude, which had not been previously visible in the posi- 

 tion it then occupied. Micrometrical measures of its 

 position, made after the lapse of about four hours from 

 the time when he first observed it, established the exist- 

 ence of a proper motion, and it was immediately an- 

 nounced to astronomers as the eighth member of the 

 group of small planets. At the suggestion of Sir John 

 Herschel the new planet received the name Flora, and a 

 flower, the " rose of England," was chosen as the sym- 

 bol. Its period of revolution is shorter than that of any 

 other of the asteroids, being only about 1193 days. 

 Flora, therefore, comes after Mars in order of mean dis- 

 tance from the sun, and approaches nearer to the earth 

 than the rest of the group to which she belongs. The 

 planet is somewhat ruddy, but without any hazy appear- 

 ance, such as might be supposed to arise from an exten- 

 sive atmosphere. 



In the year 1848 another member of this interesting 

 group was brought to light by Mr. Graham, at the private 

 observatory of Markree Castle, Ireland, under the direc- 

 tion of Mr. Cooper. Having formed a chart of the stars 

 near the equator, in the 14th hour of right ascension, on 

 a more extended scale than that of the Berlin charts, he 

 remarked, on the 25th of April, a star of the tenth mag- 



