112 HISTORY OF ASTRONOMY. 



bright ring, which shades off a little. The dark ring is 

 there of a uniform gray color ; the sky is seen black be- 

 tween Bond's ring and the planet. 



An appearance somewhat similar to that described by 

 Mr. Bond was seen by Dr. Galle at the Berlin observatory 

 in the years 1838 and 1839. The following are the 

 observations of Dr. Galle : 



" 1838, May 25th. The dark space between Saturn 

 and his ring seemed to consist, as far as its middle, of the 

 gradual extension of the inner edge of the ring into the 

 darkness, so that the fading of this inner ring has con- 

 siderable breadth. 



" June 10. The inner edges of the first ring fade 

 away gradually into the dark interval between the ring 

 and the ball. It seemed that the ring, from the begin- 

 ning of the shading inclusive, extends over nearly half 

 the space toward the ball of Saturn. 



" June 15. The fading of the inner ring toward 

 Saturn, as on June 10." 



The memoir containing these observations was pub- 

 lished in the Transactions of the Berlin Academy of 

 Sciences for 1838 ; it attracted, however, but little at- 

 tention until after the announcement of the discovery of 

 the Messrs. Bond. 



Professor A. Secchi, of the observatory at Eome, re- 

 marks that this species of penumbra in the interior of the 

 ring of Saturn existed in the year 1828, at which time it 

 was seen with the telescope of Cauchoix, then recently 



