48 



Astronomical Science j 



[July 



Planets could be predicted to nearly as great an accuracy as they could 

 be observed*. 



Hence it would appear that, for the purposes of navigation, Astro- 

 nomy holds out no further prospect of assistance. It has laid the foun- 

 dation of tables and computations, which, unless there should occur 

 some (now not apparent) disturbing course, will last for centuries. 



What then is left to be done ? Astronomy has effected, for the imme- 

 diate wants of mankind, all that is necessary and useful — shall it be 

 laid by upon the shelf? 



The best answer to this question arises out of the fact, that, during 

 the last twelve years, the public Observatories, in different parts of the 

 world, have been nearly doubled in number, and the number of private 

 Observatories — now (from the increased size and excellence of the in- 

 struments employed) well deserving the name —have been more than 

 trebled. 



What then have Astronomers found to occupy their attention ? — is 

 the next question which naturally will be asked. The answer is ready. 

 At one of the principal Observatories of Europe, we perceive the Astro- 

 nomer, aided by the best of instruments, devoting his time, during 

 twenty years, to the determination of the places of a catalogue of no 

 more than one hundred stars — The end has been accomplished ! — The 

 said places of these one hundred stars have been determined, with an 

 accuracy not yet attained in any other Observatory, and they form the 

 zero point, from which every wise Astronomer should take his depar- 

 ture. 



At another principal Observatory, the Astronomer, not contented 

 with the present accurate tables of the Sun and Planets, has been 

 devoting his attention, almost exclusively, to the determination of their 

 places, with a view to attaining more perfect accuracy. One important 

 result arrived at, is, that the masses of the planets, Venus, Mars and 

 Jupiter, have been heretofore assumed erroneous to some amount; added 

 to which, the observations will, probably at no very distant date, form the 

 basis of a set of tables, which will be short only of perfect accuracy. 



At two other Observatories in southern latitudes they have been ^ 

 determining the places of southern stars, which are not visible to the 

 observers in Europe. In the course of a few years several hundred 

 stars have been observed, which now constitutes nearly all our know- 

 ledge of the southern stars. 



At another private Observatory, we find the observer, during several 

 years, devoting his whole time, and telescopes of very superior powers, 

 to the observation of double and treble stars. These observations 

 have put us in possession of the fact, that there are certain stars, which 

 revolve around one another, or, rather, around their common centre of 



* This docs not include the four smaller Planeti 



