242 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



longitude from Saturn counted on the plane of ring from the ring's ascending 

 node on the equator, 94° 32.9', on the ecliptic si"" 48.3'. Apparent diameter of 

 the planet 17.5". 



Uranus on the 15th is within i h. 20 m. of the sun. consequently ti cannot 

 be seen to advantage this month. 



Neptune is in right ascension 2 h. 58 m. and north declination 15° 5'; being 

 in the constellation Aries it will rise about 1 1 h. P. M. This is the most remote 

 planet yet discovered in this solar system ; it is invisible to the naked eye ; seen 

 with a telescope it looks like an eighth magnitude star, unless magnified more 

 than 300 times. Under that power in a good atmosphere it presents a round 

 disk 2.6" in diameter. 



The discovery of this planet is one of the grandest triumphs of mathematical 

 astronomy ; comparing observation on Uranus while it was still thought to be the 

 most remote member of the system, astronomers found perturbations or irregular- 

 ities, that could not be accounted for on the theory of gravitation. Taking the at- 

 traction of Saturn and Jupiter into account it was found that no table could be 

 prepared that would agree with the observed position of this planet for any length 

 of time. In 1845 Le Verrier being informed of the matter, went to work to see 

 if the irregularities in the movements of Uranus could not be accounted for by 

 the existence of a planet more distant; he found this to true; and even went so 

 far as to compute its size and to predict in what part of the heavens it would be 

 found at a given date. A letter containing the results of his calculations reached 

 Berlin, September 13, 1846, and that very evening Dr. Galle found the planet 

 within one degree of the calculated place. Mr. Adams, an English astronomer 

 and mathematician had at the same time made independent calculations which 

 were as accurate as those of Le Verrier. 



CONSTELLATIONS VISIBLE ON THE I5TH AT 8 H. 40M. 



Commencing on the meridian at the northern horizon, we have Auriga; pass- 

 ■ ing up the meridian towards the zenith we cross Camelopardis, Ursa Minor and 

 Draco; beginning at the southern horizon in the same manner we cross Sagittarius 

 and Hercules. 



, On the prime vertical east are Pegasus and Cygnus, in the west Virgo and 

 Bootes. In the northeast lie Andromeda, Cassiopea and Cepheus, northwest Leo 

 Minor and Ursa Major; southwest Libra and Serpens; southeast Capricornus, 

 Aquila and Lyra. 



On July 2ist at 3:30 A. M. , I observed a small telescopic comet in Auriga. 

 Its right ascension was 5 h. 54 m., declination 40° 16' north. On the 23d, 4 h. 

 A. M., its right as'cension was 6 h. 02 m., dechnation 42° north. Its brightness 

 had increased to 1.3, and was visible to the naked eye. 



This is probably the great comet which appeared in the year 1337. It will 

 pass its perihelion on August i8th and attain its maximum briUiancy on the 20th. 

 At that time it will form a very conspicuous and interesting object, rising in the 

 northeast about three hours before the sun. It will be visible to the naked eye 

 until September 5, 1881. 



