Correspondence of Ze Nickits: ee 
Arr, XUL—  oreoudene of Prof. JERoME Nickuks, dated 
Nancy, October 2d, 1866. 
Obituary: Hermann Goldschmidt, the Astronomer.—The subject 
of this notice attained toa considerable reputation as an artist, 
but he is better known to the scientific world, in which he held 
a le pon’ by his numerous discoveries among the heavenly 
4 ae s born June 17th, 1802, but during his whole life his 
4 health 9 was delicate. Destined at first to commerce, he quitted 
it to devote himself to painting, and early became distinguished 
in that career. He was, however, ignorant of his true vocation 
until he had attained the age of forty- five years. One of his 
friends, Dr. Hoefer, to whom we are indebted for shoals details, 
tells us the diectitnartine under which he became an astronomer. 
The recital is copied from Goldschmidt himself. “TI had just re- 
turned,” says he, “full of disgust from a very long sojourn in 
England. I tried in innumerable w ways to dissipate my melan- 
choly humor, but without success, when one day I chanced to 
attend LeVerrier’s lecture on astronomy. The e professor ex- 
lained an eclipse of the moon which was to take place the 
same evening (March 81st, 1847). I understood the explana- 
tion, and in mye enthusiasm I exclaimed anch? io son. From tha 
moment I commenced with ardor to study a science of which I 
had as yet only the feeblest notions. 
Three years after, Nov. 15th, 1852, Goldschmidt discovered, 
with a small glass which he had just bought, a planet which re- 
ceived from Arago the name of Lutetia, shaving the brightness 
of a star of the 10th magnitude. The 26th of October he dis- 
covered Pomone, which resembled a star of the 11th es, Yet 
1856 ; Nysa, ne 27th, 1 857 ; Eugénia, aly 11th , 1857; lle, 
Sept. "Ot h, 1857 - Palés, Sept. 19th, 1857; Doris, id.; Europa, 
Feb. 6th, 1858; ’ Alecandra, Sept. 10th, 1858 ; Danae, Sept. 19th, 
1860; Canope, May 9th, 1861. By reason of these discoveries 
he several times received the astronomical prize from the Acad- 
iscoveries with a small glass—and his observ- 
atory was ptealals in one of the most frequented streets of Paris. 
Not favored by fortune, Goldschmidt lived ‘on a pension 
him by the French government. For a long time he had 
troubled with his eyes, but this affliction affected him much fa 
Am. Jour. Sci.—Szconp Szrtes, Vou. XLIII, No. 127.—Jan., 1867. 
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