Dec. 24, 1885] 



NATURE 



185 



of its parallax. The mistake was a very easy one to make, but 

 at least the Dunsink observations are not to blame, for Dr. Ball 

 gives not only the place of the star he observed but its number 

 in three catalogues — Groombridge, Struve's Meiisiira:, and the 

 Durchniusterung. 



Barnard's Comet. — Dr. H. Oppenheim (Astr. Nachr., 

 No. 2697) has computed the following elements and ephemeris 

 for this comet : — 



Perihelion Passage = 1886 May i4'i43o Berlin M.T. 



w =i\(> 31 57 j 



ft = 66 22 12 -Mean Eq. 1885-0 

 i -= 94 8 7 J 

 log. ,/ = 974184 

 liiror of the middle observation : — 



S\=+4" 8)3=- 3". 

 The elements resemble those of Comet 1785 11. 

 Epkenieris for Berlin Midnight 

 iSSs App. R.\. .App. Decl. Log. A Brightness 



h. m. s. . , 



''3 



The brightness on December 5 is taken as unity. 



The Pulkow.\ Observatory. — From his Report, presented 

 May 25, 1885, it appears that M. O. Struve was chiefly occu- 

 pied, during the year to which the Report refers, with work 

 connected with the erection of the great 30-inch refractor. 

 Various unexpected delays had occurred, in connection chiefly 

 with the construction of the dome, but, at the time of writing 

 his Report, M. Struve states that regular observations could be 

 commenced immediately. He expresses himself as greatly pleased 

 with the mounting of the instrument, which has been designed 

 and constructed by the Repsolds. At present the dome is moved 

 by hand, but it is hoped that this may eventually be done by elec- 

 tricity, and that motive power will thus be obtained sufficient to 

 overcome the hindrance to the rotation of the dome caused by snow 

 and frost. It is proposed to use the great refractor for observing 

 such double-stars as are beyond the reach of the 15-incIi equa- 

 torial, and to undertake observations of interesting nebulae, as 

 well as spectroscopic researches in cases wliere the great optical 

 power of the instrument will be of special importance. We 

 learn from Science that M. Struve has written to .Messrs. Alvan 

 Clark and Sons, acknowledging the excellent performance of the 

 object-glass furnished by them, and announcing that the Emperor 

 of Russia had conferred on them the Honorary Gold Medal of 

 the Empire. 



Notwithstanding the additional cares and labours thus imposed 

 on the staff of the Pulkowa Observatory, further increased by M. O. 

 Struve's regrettable illness, the usual work in the various depart- 

 ments has been kept up with vigour, and it is evident that the 

 famous Russian institution, under its present superintendent, 

 will continue to maintain its great reputation. 



Suspected "New" Star. — It is announced in the Dun 

 Echt Circular, No. 104, that Mr. Gore, observing with a 

 binocular on the evening of December 13, found a reddish star 

 of 6th mag., and about 20' following x' Ononis. This object is 

 not given by Harding, Lalande, Heis, Birmingham, or the Bonn 

 maps. On December 16 Copeland and Becker, observing at 

 Dun Echt, found it of the (>\, mag., and of an orange-red colour. It 

 has a very beautiful banded spectrum of the third type, seven dark 

 bands being readily distinguished with the prism. The bright 

 intervals seem full of bright lines, especially in the green and 

 blue. The mean place for 1885 is R.A. 5h. 48m. 59s. ; 

 Decl. + 20° 9' 4. 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE 



WEEK 1885 DECEMBER 27-1886 JANUARY 2 



(For the reckoning of time the civil day, commencing at 



Greenwich mean midnight, counting the hours on to 24, is here 



employed.) 



At Greenwich on December 27 

 Sun rises, 8h. 8m. ; souths, I2h. Im. 27-73. ; sets, I5h. 55m. ; 

 decl. on meridian, 23° 19' S. : Sidereal Time at Sunset, 



22h. 20m. 



Moon (at Last Quarter on Dec. 28) rises, 22h. l8m.* ; souths, 

 4h. 56m. ; sets, llh. 23m. ; decl. on meridian, 4° 19' N. 

 Planet Rises Souths 



Decl. on meridia 



* Indicates that the rising is that of the preceding and the setting that of 

 the following day. 



Occtiltations of Stars by the Moon 



Corresponding 

 Dec. Star Mag. Disap. Reap. ^e?'," [-"ht for" 



inverted image 

 h. m. h. m. „ „ 



27 ... T Leonis 5 ... 5 48 ... 6 47 ... no 232 



29 ... 9 Virginis 4J ... 4 5 ... 5 15 ... 60 211 



Jan. 



I ... 7) LibriE 6 ... 5 8 ... 6 15 ... 58 210 



Dec. h. 



27 ... 9 ... Mars in conjunction with and 2° 48' north 



of the Moon. 



28 ... 9 ... Jupiter in conjunction with and 0° 5' south 



of the Moon. 

 31 ... 5 ... Sun at least distance from the Earth, 



Meteor Showers 



The principal periodic shower at this time is that of the 

 Quiuirantids, R.A. 225°-232'', Decl. ss^-eo^N., seen on January 

 2 and 3. As the radiant-point rises after midnight, the shower 

 must be looked for during the morning hours. A shower with 

 radiant near Aldebaran may be looked for during this week and 

 throughout January. 



Stars with Remarkable Spectra 



Mira Ceti, R.A. 2h. 13m. 36s., Decl. 3° 29'-6 S., should be 

 examined with the spectroscope on every favourable opportunity 

 now that it is approaching its maximum. It is a fine example 

 of Secchi's third type. 



Star R.-'V. 1886 o Decl. 1886-0 Mag. Type of 



h. m. s. o . spectrum 



7 Cassiopeia; ... o 50 6 ... 60 7'o N. ... 2-2 ... Bright lines 



Mira Ceti 21336... 3 296 S. ...Var. ... IIL 



pArietis 2 49 24 ... 17 521 N. ... 6-0 ... III. 



oCeti 2 51 19 ... 3 38-5 N. ... 25 ... III. 



p Persei 2 57 52 ... 38 240 N. ... Var. ... III. 



D.M. -l-57°-702 ... 3 2 38 ... 57 28-2 N. 



5iSchj 4 59 30 - I i'2N. 



20 Leporis 5 6 3 ... 11 59 '4 S. 



o Orionis 5 49 o •■• 7 23-1 N. 



;t Geminorum ... 6 16 3 ... 22 33-6 N. 



78 Schj 6 28 42 ... 38 31-0 N. 



51 Geminorum ... 7 6 49 ... 16 18-4 N. 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 

 Two papers in the December number of the Proceedinos of 

 the Royal Geographical Society are of unusual interest. The 

 first is Mr. F. Simons's account of his exploration of the 

 Goajira peninsula of the United States of Colombia ; the 

 second, a series of letters, hitherto unpublished m English, from 

 Colonel Prjevalsky, translated by Mr. Delmar Morgan. Mr. 



