25a 



-!■ „Mr. Guthrie, a gentleman residing near Bervie, N. B., wißhea 

 to call the attention of astronomers to a phenomenon, which he states 

 to have observed in the planet Venus a few years ago. On the 

 occasion of the approach of the planet to its inferior conjunction, 

 and when the crescent was very elender, Mr. Guthrie, while engaged 

 in examining it with a Newtonian reflector of 5 inches apertuře and 

 a magnifying power of 144, was unexpectedly surprised by observing 

 an annular fringe of light, surrounding the dark side of the disk, 

 and completing the circle, which was partially formed by the outer 

 margin of the crescent. The same appearance was observed, when 

 the planet was yiewed with a Gregorian reflector of S'/a inches 

 apertuře, magnifying 68 times. In order to assure himself beyond 

 doubt of the reality of the phenomenon, Mr. Guthrie directed some 

 of his friends to examine the planet through his Instruments, but 

 without communicating to them a knowledge of the object he had in 

 view ; where upon each of them remarked, that he observed the same 

 appearance. This luminous continuation of the cusps of the planet 

 was observed on several consecutive nights, the atmosphere having 

 been very favourable for Observation. It increased in visibility as 

 the crescent waned. The breadth was considerable ; neither the interior 

 nor the exterior side of it was sharply defined." 



„Mr. Guthrie stated, that the Instruments with which the planet 



was examined were both of excellent quality. The fringe was better 



defined in the larger instrument than in the smaller; being of a ne- 



bulous appearance, it was more distinctly visible in the smaller than 



in the larger instrument." 



r 

 In Folge einer Notiz von Dawes, welcher den Mangel näherer 



Zeitangaben bei einer so wichtigen Beobachtung bedauerte, gab später 

 Herr Guthrie, allerdings nur aus dem Gedächtnisse, an, seine Be- 

 obachtung während der unteren Conjunction im Dezember 1842 ge- 

 macht zu haben. (Month. Not. í5, 195.) 



11) G. A. Jahn in Leipzig theilt in der von ihm herausgege- 

 benen Wochenschrift. „Unterhaltungen im Gebiete der Astronomie 

 Geographie und Meteorologie." Bd. 9 p. 320 folgendes als von ihm 

 beobachtet mit: 



„Die Venus zeigte (1855) am 27. September 22** 55"* m. Z. und 

 den 28. Sept. 23'' O"' m. Z. (also nahe ihrer unteren Conjunction) 

 verwaschene Hörnerspitzen; die Nachtseite war ein wenig zu er- 



17 



