854^ 



kennen; das gebrauchte Fernrohr (Fraunhofer) von 4 Fuss Länge 

 und 3 Pariser Zoll (81"''") Oeffnung hatte die Vergrösserung 80." 



Also beide Beobachtungen am hellen Mittage. 

 ., .1 12) In den Monthly Not. Vol. 22 p. 158 theilt Herr G. Knott 

 folgendes mit: 



»I take the opportunity of mentioning a recent Observation of 

 that curious phenomenon connected with the planet Venus, called 

 Bometimes the phosphorescence of the dark side. On the 

 evening of Jan. 14th (im Jahre 1862), my uncle, Mr. Berry of 

 Liverpool, was examining the planet with a small but very perfect 

 Gregorian reflector oi 4 inches apertuře, mag. power 160. The wind 

 was high, but the atmosphere very clear, and in repeated intervals 

 of quiet, when the cusps were sharply defined, the unillumined part 

 of the disc shone with a faint light similar in appearance to the 

 „lumiere cendrée" in the crescent moon. In proof of the inde- 

 pendence of the Observation I may say, that, at the time, it had 

 entirely escaped Mr. Berry's memory that the phenomenon had been 

 remarked by previous observers." 



13) Von nun an häufen sich die Beobachtungen und kommen 

 fast jedes Jahr vor. > nur ü > mv h'. 



Die nächstfolgende Nachricht ist von Herrn C. Leeson Prince 

 zu ückfield, welcher die Venus während der unteren Conjunction 

 des Jahres 1863 zwischen 23. und 30. September fast täglich mit 

 einem 12schuhigen Refractor von 6*8 Zoll (170°"") Öffnung beobachtete. 

 Am besten zeigte die Erscheinung ein löOmal vergrösserndes Okular, 

 mit einem Diaphragma von nur % Zoll Durchmesser im Hauptbrenn- 

 punkte (Sehfeld demnach nur 9'). ^^ rj „y 



»Sept. 23^. Observing Venus to-day just about thé tiine of 

 meridian passage, I thought I saw the whole disk slightly illumi- 

 nated ; but as the atmosphere was in a very disturbed state, I could 

 not be quite certain." 



„25*''. Upon looking at the planet again to-day, I am satisfied 

 that I not only saw the dark body, but also a phosphorescent flitting 

 light around the edge of the entire disk. Nothwithstanding the 

 stormy weather the very narrow illuminated portion was well seen. 



„26*''. The dark body of the planet seen again to-day, but not 

 80 distinctly as yesterday." 



„27*''. Planet not seen well to-day, the atmosphere being very 

 tremulous. Dark body of the planet not seen, but there were glim- 

 pses of light around the edge of the disk, as observed on 25**^." 



