2] OF THE PLANET NEPTUNE. 49 



both as to the form and the position of the Ring. Mr Lassell writes, " I 

 cannot refuse to consider that your observation puts beyond reasonable 

 doubt the reality of mine." In this conclusion I concur, and accordingly 

 in communications to the Royal Astronomical Society and to Schumacher's 

 Astronomische Nachrichten, containing my reduced observations, I have ven- 

 tured to express my conviction of the existence of a Ring. 



By micrometer measures taken with the Northumberland telescope, I 

 find the apparent diameter of the body of the planet to be very nearly 3". 



The above account includes all the observations on the planet I could 

 obtain before its disappearance in the solar rays. By the kindness of 

 Mr Adams I am able to add some particulars respecting its orbit, which 

 he has derived by calculation from the reduced places with which I fur- 

 nished him. As was stated in the former Report, Mr Adams calculated 

 first approximations to the elements, by employing the places I obtained on 

 August 4 and August 12 in the course of searching for the planet, with 

 observations since the discovery extending to October 13. For the sake of 

 comparison with the second approximations, I now give the first results. 



Heliocentric Longitude 32639 Aug. 4, 1846 



Longitude of the Descending Node 309 43 



Inclination of the Orbit 1 45 



Distance of the Planet from the Sun 30'05. 



In calculating the following second approximations Mr Adams used the 

 mean of the two places of August as a single place, and of the others 

 he selected nine which seemed to be the best determined, and which were 

 separated by convenient intervals. All the results are calculated for the 

 epoch of 1846, August 8'0, mean time at Greenwich. 



Heliocentric Longitude of the Planet referred to the 



o / // 



mean Equinox of 1847'0 326 41 12'3 



Heliocentric motion in Longitude in 100 days 36 5 '52 



Heliocentric Latitude South 30 34'4 



Change of Heliocentric Latitude in 100 days 1 4 '44 



Longitude of the Descending Node 310 3 44'0 



Inclination of the Orbit 1 46 49'1 



Distance of the Planet from the Sun '. 30 '008 



Half the Latus Rectum of the Orbit 30'228. 



A. 7 



