3G . . REPORT— 1860. 



vation was — 685. The month of Thamuz would begin in the spring. The second 

 observation was some years later. " On the 25th of Thamuz, Venus ceased to appear 

 in the west, was unseen for seven days, and on the 2nd of Ab was seen in the east." 

 "On the 26th of Eiul, Venus ceased to appear in the west, was unseen for eleven 

 days, and on the 7th of the second Elul was seen in the east." This being an em- 

 boiismatic year, the day last mentioned was necessarily its 184th day, and was 200 

 days before the first day of the new year. If, then, this day can be determined from 

 what is recorded of Venus, the commencement of two Babylonian years out of a 

 cycle of eight will be determined. The foregoing had been communicated to the 

 Royal Astronomical Society, but is not yet published. Dr. Hincks now added his 

 conviction, that by combining those observations with that of the equinox, recorded 

 on another tablet, a translation of which was given by him in the Transactions of 

 the Royal Irish Academy, the determination of the year in which any of those obser- 

 vations took place would determine tbe commencement of every Babylonian year. 

 The Babylonians were acquainted with the approximate equality of eight tropical 

 years, five synodic revolutions of Venus, and ninety-nine synodic revolutions of the 

 moon. The first observation, if in the seventh century before Christ (which is pro- 

 bable, though not quite certain — later than this it could not be), must have been 

 in a year of the form —685 — 8 i. 



On the brilliant Eruption on the Suns Surface, 1st September 1859. 

 By R. Hodgson, F.R.A.S. 



While observing a group of solar spots on the 1st of September, I was suddenly 

 surprised at the appearance of a very brilliant star of light, much brighter than the 

 sun's surface, most dazzling to^the protected eye, illuminating with its light the 

 upper edges of the adjacent spots, not unlike in effect the edging of the clouds at 

 sunset : the rays extended in all directions, and the centre might be compared to the 

 dazzling brilliancy of the bright star a. Lyrre, when seen in a large telescope 

 with a low power. It lasted five minutes, and disappeared instantaneously 

 about ll h 25 m a.m. Telescope used an equatorial refractor, Q\ inches aperture, 

 carried by clockwork. Power single convex lens 100, with pale neutral tint sun- 

 glass. The whole aperture was used with a diagonal reflector. The phenomenon 

 was of too short a duration to admit of a micrometrical drawing, but an eye-sketch 

 was taken from which the enlarged diagram was made. 



The only other observer was Mr. Carrington at the Red Hill Observatory, but a 

 drawing was made of the spot by the Rev. William Howlett of Hurst Green, at 

 noon, within half an hour of the occurrence. From a photograph taken at Kew 

 the previous day, the size (length) of the entire group appears to have been about 

 2 minutes 8 seconds, or say 60,000 miles. 



The magnetic instruments at Kew and Greenwich were simultaneously disturbed 

 at the same instant to a considerable extent. 



Prospectus of the Hartwell Variable Star Atlas, with six Specimen Proofs. 



By John Lee, LL.D. 



The work announced is to form one of a series of quarto volumes, of which 

 Admiral Smyth's well-known 'iEdes Hartwellianse ' and ' Speculum Hartwellianum' 

 may be regarded as the commencement. It is to comprise maps of the vicinity of 

 all stars of established variability, — at the present moment 102 in number. The 

 light ratio or magnitude scale employed was explained, and six specimen proofs ex- 

 hibited to the meeting. The scale of projection is unusually large and clear ; 3 

 inches to one degree, to avoid crowding and confusion. After dwelling at some 

 length upon the unsatisfactory state of our knowledge of the variable stars, and 

 making allusion to the most recent researches and discoveries, especially to those of 

 Professor Argelander, Sir John Herschel, Mr. Hind, and Mr. Pogson, and to the 

 annual ephemeris of the variable stars published by the last named astronomer for 

 four years past, Dr. Lee remarked, — 



" A variable star usually remains unchanged for several nights, sometimes even 

 for weeks, when either at maximum or minimum ; and yet, owing to the difficulty 

 of estimating absolute magnitudes correctly, and still more to the prevalence of haze 



