Fan. 5, 1882] 
curious irregular shadings interspersed with brilliant white 
spots and light patches, which seem to be influenced by 
some abnormal phenomena. Watched from night to 
night, and their relative positions carefully determined, 
they are seen to vary considerably, and to travel much 
swifter than the red spot. The bright spots, which gene- 
rally lie very slightly south of the equator and on the 
north border of the great south belt, are influenced by a 
rapid proper motion on the surface of the planet. In a 
single rotation of Jupiter they are displaced relatively to 
the red spot, to the extent of 34°, their period being 54 
minutes less. In 1880 these white and generally oval 
spots were observed with a good deal of attention, and 
in a few marked cases the times of rotation were derived 
as follows :— 
bom: "Ss 
J. F. J. Schmidt ... 9 500 
Ay Marthe ep ecomeile ets Saeciecrs (91 5QU076 
IPE Ge Vile Soeata hee oe aba) GO CHE(G) 
” » peo aod Sees 9 59 9°58 
W. F. Denning 9505 
NATURE 
225 
One bright spot in particular arrested attention as the 
most conspicuous of its class, and this object continues 
visible at the present time. Its independent motion en- 
ables it to make a complete circuit of Jupiter, relatively 
to the red spot, in 444 days. One of the most interesting 
points of observation is to note the changes in the relative 
positions of the spots on successive nights, and to watch 
the bright equatorial markings as they overtake and pass 
the red spot. In four days the white spots traverse an 
| equivalent extent of longitude to that covered by the red 
spot, so that during this interval they travel from the / 
end to the g. end of the latter object. The independent 
motion of the equatorial markings is the same in direc- 
tion as that of the satellites and of the planet on its 
axis, namely, from west to east. 
In the southern hemisphere of Jupiter there are several 
narrow dusky bands outlying the red spot, and a few 
dusky streaks or short belts of distinct form are manifest. 
In the north hemisphere there is a conspicuous double 
belt in about lat. 25°; the south side of this belt was 
Fic. 2.—The bright spot in transit, December 18, 1881, 6h. 12m. The following side of the red spot is seen on the western limb, To the east of the light 
spot, and in nearly the same latitude, is a dark mass emerging from the great southern belt. 
formed by the outbreak and subsequent rapid develop- 
ment and dispersion of a series of dark spots during the 
months of October, November, and December, 1880. 
At first appearing as well-defined and almost as plain as 
the shadows of satellites in transit, they increased in 
numbers, or became greatly extended longitudinally, 
but gradually lost their decided character until they were 
eventually dispersed around the planet, and formed a 
dusky girdle considerably north of the equator. In fact 
the formation of a new belt on Jupiter had been going on 
under the eyes of observers. 
As to the bright equatorial spot, it came to conjunction 
with the red spot on November 10, 1881, and the same 
objects were noted in conjunction on November 19, 1880, | 
at gh. 23m.. when crossing the central meridian of | 
Jupiter. In the meantime the behaviour of the two 
objects has been very remarkable, for the red spot during 
the interval of 356 days has performed 861 rotations, 
while the light spot has completed 869, and has in fact 
travelled round the sphere of Jupiter eight times rela- 
tively to the position of the red spot! The two objects 
were again observed in the same longitude on December 
24, 1881, at 9h. 43-, having completed 967 and 976 rota- 
tions respectively. The next two conjunctions will occur 
on February 6, 1882, and March 23, 1882, after which 
they will not be well seen until the ensuing summer, 
when Jupiter again becomes visible in the morning sky, 
and the two spots, should they continue to be presented 
on the disc of the planet, will occupy nearly the same lon- 
gitude on August 3, September 17, October 31, and 
December 14, 1882. 
The diameter of the white spot is very variable, sometimes 
itis fully 2”, which corresponds to more than 4600 miles, 
but it is occasionally much contracted by encroachments 
