SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 385 
October was found to be best adapted for observations in the climate of 
Bonn. 
Motion of Solar System in Space. — Mr. Stone, from a long discussion of 
the proper motions of stars, concludes that when those are large, there is 
numerical evidence that the solar system moves in space, but that this 
evidence is slight. 
New Telescope. — Mr. Wray, of Upper Holloway, has constructed a 
telescope of eight inches aperture, and having only eight feet focal length. 
We had an opportunity of testing its powers on the night of March 12, 
and although the sky was not favourable, the separation of a double star 
of Struve, of 0",67 distance was easily seen, and that of the double star 
following Procyon was very apparent. Its action on the moon was equally 
favourable, and its achromatism is perfect. 
Parallax of Stars. — From Dr. Auwers* researches it appears that the 
star 61 Cygni is much nearer to the sun than at first supposed. Bessel 
found its parallax to be about \ of a second ; M. Otto Struve upwards of 
half a second, whilst Dr. Auwers makes it 0",56. He also finds that a 
star in Lalande’s catalogue (No. 21,258) has a parallax of 0",27, being at 
a distance of 761,000 times that of the sun, and the light of which would 
require some twelve years to reach the earth. 
Nasmyth’s Solar Discoveries. — Mr. Nasmyth claims to have been the 
first “ to discover, delineate, and accurately describe ” the structure and 
structural details of the sun’s luminous surface, and those curious forms 
which he has termed the “ willow leaves,” with which this luminary is 
completely covered. He states that they are scattered in every direction 
over its surface — no symmetrical arrangement being perceived. He esti- 
mates their length at 1,000 miles, and their width about 100. The thick- 
ness of the layer of those luminous spots does not appear to be considerable, 
as the semi-luminous atmosphere on which they float can be perceived 
through the interstices, and which give to the sun its peculiar and well- 
known mottled appearance. The actual form of those singular bodies is 
best seen when they drift across a spot and form those “ bridges ” which 
occur when the spot is collapsing. 
Recorded DarJcness of the Sun. — Mr. Carrington quotes a passage from 
Bale’s “Pageant of Popes” (1574) which states that in the time of Leo 
the Third (796-816), the sun was darkened and lost his light for eighteen 
days. This is not recorded by Humboldt. 
Comets in 1863. — In all, six comets were discovered during the past year. 
Mr. Romberg states that the fourth comet, in December, appeared as an 
oblong nebula not brighter than a star of the eighth magnitude. The 
fifth, which was visible to the naked eye in November, when it shone as a 
fifth-magnitude star, was not more than of the seventh magnitude in 
December. A tail was seen on both occasions, at the latter time very 
faint. 
Catalogue of Nebulae. — A valuable work, containing all of Sir W. Her- 
schel’s nebulje (2,500 in number), with other catalogues, and comparisons 
between them, has been published by M. Auwers. The want of such a 
work has long been felt by such observers as were engaged in searching 
for comets, as no complete catalogue existed previously. 
