The Planet Saturn. 51 



are no doubt, as 01b ers suggested, the perspective projection 

 of the brightest portions of the ring enlarged by irradiation ; 

 or if we are looking on the dark side, light reaching us through 

 its openings. But their frequent absence of symmetry is the 

 point to which we are directing our attention.] 1803, Jan. 

 (3 ?) 4, Harding found "W. ansa reappear alone, with a large 

 knot of light. 11, Schr., Harding, and another found W. 

 more visible, and the knot unmoved. 14, ditto, Schr. detected 

 two smaller knots on B. ; they observed by turns for 8|h., 

 and found them unchanged ; during the latter days the W. 

 knot began to lengthen westward; it continued visible and 

 unmoveable for 4\ months. June 1 0, all E. had disappeared 

 except two points, "W. was extremely thin and interrupted, 

 with its great point or mountain. 16, Schr. saw W. with 

 much difficulty; E. had for some time disappeared. It 

 vanished at last, even in 27-ft. reflector, and reappeared on 

 each side alternately as a fine interrupted line. Nov., ring 

 knotty, E. white, W. fainter; the same three spots. Schr. 

 considered that when we looked on the S. side, W. was the 

 larger, and the reverse, and inferred that the rings did not lie 

 in the same plane. 



I have found no record of its aspect at its next disappear- 

 ance, but in 1832 and 1833 we have several notices, especially 

 by Schwabe,* the great observer of the sun at Dessau. Dec. 

 1, he saw one minute point on E. side, fixed for 3h. so as to 

 show that it could not be a satellite. 12, E. ansa had a bright 

 spot (near outer edge of ring B), and did not close up to the 

 ball; W. uniform, rather the shorter, broader, less defined, 

 and fainter; but vanishing later behind clouds than E. The 

 dissimilarity continued through the spring of 1833, but the 

 spot grew less obvious on the widening ring, and the E. ansa 

 became continuous, though feebly so, to the globe. April 2, 

 ansae evidently unlike ; E. fainter than "W. ; both feeble. 7, 



15, E. the longer; no brighter spots. 17, E. obviously the 

 longer, and somewhat the sharper defined; very faint or in- 

 visible near ball, while W. closes up to it. 25, W. the more 

 distinct; E. seems discontinuous. 27, ditto; sometimes, per- 

 haps, a bright spot on E. May 1, ring gone. June 8, 13, 

 sometimes very minute point E. 14, first certainty, W. some- 

 what the more distinct, and closing up to ball ; E. does not close, 

 but has a bright spot. 18, spot so bright as to make E. ansa, 

 though the fainter, the more conspicuous. 24, W. very 

 obviously the shorter and fainter, but uniform; E. brighter 

 towards extremity. 25, ditto ; the spot seemed double. July 



16, W. uniform; E. distinctly longer, and very faint next 



* This name was erroneously printed Schuzbe in our last No. 



