IX REPORT — 1860. 



science of Astronomy, a science, which, whether we consider the surpassing 

 interest of the subjects with which it is conversant, or the lofty nature of the 

 speculations to which its inquiries lead, must ever occupy a most distinguished, 

 if not the first place among all others. 



In a discourse addressed in May 18.59 to the Imperial Academy of 

 Sciences of Vienna, by the distinguished Astronomer Littrow, a very full ac- 

 count is given of the voluntary contributions of the private observers of 

 all nations to the extension of the science of Astronomy ; and this discourse 

 concludes with a remarkable sentence, of which our English Amateurs may 

 well be proud : he expresses a hope that on the next occasion in which he 

 shall be called upon to dilate on the same theme, he shall not as then have 

 to inpntion English names in such preponderating numbers. 



At the beginning of the year 1820, when the Astronomical Society was 

 founded, the private Observatories in this country were very few in number. 

 The establishment of that Society gave a most remarkable stimulus to the 

 cultivation of the science which it was intended to promote. 1 can give no 

 better proof of this than the fact that the Nautical Almanac now contains a 

 list of no less than twelve private Observatories in the United Kingdom, at 

 nearly all of which some good work has been done; and in addition to this, 

 some Observatories, which have been since discontinued, have performed most 

 important services — I may instance that of the two Herschels at Slough, and 

 that of Admiral Smyth at Bedford. 



It may not be uninteresting if I describe the nature and utility of some 

 of the results which these several establishments have furnished to the world : 

 I say the world advisedly, for scientific facts are the common inheritance of 

 all mankind. 



But first a word as to the peculiar province of the observatories which are 

 properly called " public," such as the far-famed Institution at Greenwich. 

 Their task is now more peculiarly to establish with the last degree of accu- 

 racy the places of the principal heavenly bodies of our own system, and of 

 the brighter or fundamental fixed stars, which are about 100 in number. 

 But in the early stages of Astronomy, we were necessarily indebted to public 

 Observatories for all the data of the science. On the other hand, their vo- 

 luntary rivals occupy that portion of the great astronomical field which is 

 untitled by the professional observer; roving over it according to their own 

 free will and pleasure, and cultivating with industrious hand such plants as 

 the more continuous and severe labours of the public Astronomer leave no 

 time or opportunity to bring to maturity. 



The observations of our private observers have been chiefly devoted to 

 seven important objects: — 



First. The observing and mapping of the smaller stars, under which term 

 1 include all those which do not form the peculiar province of the public 

 observer. 



Secondly. The observations of the positions and distances of double stars. 



