88 Astronomical Operations at the Pulkova Observatory. 



Monterey, California, Mr. Larkins' gardens, Sept. 19th, 1843. 

 No. 3, . . . . . . . 61°56'-9 



" 61°52'-3 



No. 3, . . . . . . . 62° 25'-9 



Mean, 62^ 04'-7 



Adopted, allowing the observations with No. 3 on 

 account of irregularities ^ value, . . . 61° 58' -9 



Art, VII, — Astronomical Operations performed at the Imperial 

 Observatory of Pulkova; translated from the Bibliotheque 

 Universelle, of October, 1843, by James Nooney, Jr., A. M. 



The great Russian Observatory of Pulkova, near St, Peters- 

 burg, commenced operations about five years since, under the 

 direction of the celebrated astronomer Struve, and important 

 results have already been obtained from the labors of observation 

 and calculation which have been executed there. It is proposed 

 to present here a hasty sketch of those labors which have already 

 been published in the Bulletin of the Imperial Academy of Sci- 

 ences at St. Petersburgh, and in several numbers of the Astrono- 

 mische Nachrichten. 



The meridian-circle, constructed by the brothers Repsold of 

 Hamburg, which this observatory possesses, is furnished with a 

 telescope of 5-8 inches of aperture, and 83 inches of focal length, 

 with which is ordinarily used a magnifying power of 246. The 

 readings are made by the aid of four microscopes upon each of 

 the two vertical circles of four feet in diameter, with which the 

 instrument is provided, and which are graduated to two minutes. 

 This instrument is to be employed principally in the construction 

 of a catalogue of the fixed stars as far as the seventh magnitude 

 inclusive, comprised between the north pole and the parallel of 

 15° of southern decHnation. This catalogue will contain about 

 thirteen thousand stars. The charge of observations with this 

 instrument is committed to Mr. Sabler. From those of 1840, he 

 found the latitude of the observatory to be 59° 46' 18'' -65. The 

 latitude obtained by Mr. Peters at the same time was 59° 46' 

 18"-83, by double meridian zenith distances of the pole star, ob- 

 served at its two transits, with a movable vertical circle of Ertel, 



