The Planet Mars — Occultations. 351 



The more distant and brighter is 



126. 1386 t, according" to him l"-983. 296°. Nearly 

 equal, 8*2 mag. of his scale (1832*11). 9 mag according to 

 Smyth. 



Mr. Knott has obliged me by remeasuring these objects with 

 his beautiful 7^-inch object-glass, by Alvan Clark. The former 

 appears unchanged in distance, and nearly if not quite so in 

 position ; to the latter, the very aspect of which shows that 

 it must have been closing up since Struve IV s time, he gives 

 a distance of 1"'596 (1864 - 04), a result corroborated by Dem- 

 bowskr's estimate of 1"*5. The probability therefore is that 

 this beautiful pair is in orbital motion, in a plane passing 

 nearly through our eye, as is shown by the absolute fixity of 

 angle during thirty-two years. A power of 111 sufficed to 

 divide it with my 5|-inch aperture. The contrasted aspect of 

 these adjacent pairs, and their utter dissimilarity in character 

 from the great hazy mass of light beside them, render this 

 a truly remarkable field. 



THE PLANET MAES. 



Advantage should be taken of the present position of this 

 interesting planet, now just past his opposition (Nov. 30), to 

 corroborate and complete the observations of 1862. He is 

 unfortunately at a greater distance from the earth, and his 

 largest diameter is consequently only 16''"6, instead of 21 *8, 

 as on that occasion. As however he will be still less favour- 

 ably circumstanced in future oppositions for some time, the 

 present opportunity should be made as much use of as possible. 



OCCULTATIONS. 

 December 4th. c 1 Capricorni, 6 mag., from 9h. 4m. to 9h. 

 34m. — 5th. k Aquarii, 5 mag., from 8h. 35m. to 9h. 29m. — 

 16th. A 2 Oancri, 6 mag., from 9h. 41m. to lOh. 46m. 



