192 Miscellanies. 



The disc was very fair, well defined, and the flattening strikingly ap- 

 parent. 



The moon was in the tenth day of her phase, within about 

 eight or ten degcees of Saturn ; the two bodies were elevated far 

 above the horizon, and situated nearly in the meridian. The ring 

 was last seen at three quarters past nine, P. M. April 22d, and this 

 observation perfectly confirms the prediction of Dionis of Sejour, see 

 p. 17 of his book published in 1776, entitled " Essay upon the phe- 

 nomena relative to the periodical disappearing of the ring of Saturn." 

 According to the calculations of this astronomer, the first disappear- 

 ing ought to have occurred on the fourth of October, 1832, and the 

 reappearing on the fifteenth of December following ; the second dis- 

 appearing should happen on the twenty-third of April, 1833, and the 

 reappearing on the twentieth of June following. 



MM. Bessel and Struve, found that the first disappearing of the 

 ring would happen at three A. M. on the thirtieth of September, 1832, 

 and the reappearing on the first of December, 1 P. M. the second 

 disappearing on the thirtieth of April, 1833, at 10 P. M. and the re- 

 appearing on the ninth of June following at 6 A. M. 



The Bureau des Longitudes of Paris has published in the Annuaire 

 for 1832, still different results from either of the preceding. 



It is hoped that actual observations, with powerful instruments, will 

 furnish complete data to enable astronomers to announce with pre- 

 cision the future returns of this phenomenon, the first of which will 

 occur in 1848, at the close of the month of April. 



Comet of Biela. — It is known, that this telescopic star, whose ac- 

 tual revolution is two thousand four hundred and forty-five days, has 

 pursued, in its return last year, a track a little different from that which 

 it should have traversed according to the Ephemeris of MM. Santi- 

 ni, Damoiseau, Henderson, &.c. M. Valz, of Nismes thinks the re- 

 sistance of an etherial fluid has contributed somewhat to this slight 

 disturbance. 



M. Santini, with different elements obtained in his results a remark- 

 able variation, but by collecting all the observations made during the 

 last appearance of the comet, he obtained the following new elements, 

 never before published. The great axis and mean motion are those 

 established by M. Damoiseau. 



Passage to the perihelion, 1832, Nov. 26^. 153170, mean time 

 at Padua. 



Longitude of perihelion 110° 0' 55.05'' ) of the mean equinox 



Longitude of node 248° 15' 36.09" S of Jan. 0, 1833. ^ 



