268 



though moving in an orbit more than three times as much inclined 

 to the plane of the ecliptic. The discovery of two planets, in the po- 

 sition where one of them had been so anxiously sought for*, induced 

 Dr. Olbers to conjecture that they were fragments of a larger planet, 

 which had been scattered by some great catastrophe, and that 

 many others probably existed at nearly the same* distance from the 

 sun, and possessing common nodes : he therefore earnestly recom- 

 mended astronomers to observe most carefully those spaces of the 

 heavens in which the nodes of these planets are placed ; a practice 

 which he himself observed for many years. His exemplary dili- 

 gence was rewarded by the discovery of Vesta on the 29th of March, 

 1807, nearly in the precise position in which he had conjectured that 

 it was most likely to be found f. This was the last of those remark- 

 able discoveries whose history illustrates in so striking a manner that 

 union of profound, yet somewhat visionary speculation, with uncon- 

 querable perseverance, which is so characteristic of the German 

 nation. 



His well-known method of calculating the orbits of comets, which 

 has been so generally used by German astronomers, was published 

 at Weimar in 1797^:, with a commendatory preface by his zealous 

 friend the Baron de Zach. This memoir, independently of its other 

 merits, is sufficient to show that its author was a mathematician of 

 very considerable powers, and perfectly acquainted with the works 

 of contemporary astronomers. 



Dr. Olbers w^as a diligent observer of comets ; and there are few 

 astronomers who have contributed so much to our knowledge of 

 these singular bodies. He was the discoverer of several comets, in- 

 cluding the celebrated comet of long period of 1815; and we are 

 indebted to him, not merely for very important suggestions and ob- 

 servations respecting the celebrated comet of Encke, but still more 

 for having de ^'eloped the taste for astronomical calculations and 

 observations of that great astronomer, who for many years served 

 him in the capacity of assistant in his observatory. 



The Baron de Zach visited this observatory in September, 1800 §, 

 and has described the simple apparatus which enabled him to make 

 so many important discoveries. It was placed in the upper part of 

 his house in the midst of the town of Bremen, and afforded openings 

 or platforms sufficient to afford a command of nearly every point of 

 the heavens. His instruments were an excellent five-foot Dollond 

 of Sf inches aperture, with a circular micrometer (which he used in 

 the observation of the small planets), a five-foot reflecting telescope 



and that of Palias 2*7676 : the difference is less therefore than 19,000 

 miles. 



* Their essays on this subject were generally headed, " On the long-ex- 

 pected Planet between Jupiter and Mars." 



t The longitude of the ascending node of Pallas is 172° 32' 35"; that 

 of Vesta is 171° 6' 37". 



I Abhandlung ueber die lechteste und bequemste methode die Bahn 

 eines cometen aus eiaigen beobachtungen zu berechnen. 



§ Monatlichfe Correspondenz for Feb. 1801. 



