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The stars are therefore merely telescopic, and are confined to- 
a small area of space, so that the propriety of adopting the group 
as a distinct constellation is very questionable. Their positions, 
close to Uranus at the time of its discovery, and the fact that 
the planet’s motion was detected by means of comparisons with 
them, has given to these stars an historical interest which in 
future years must often attract the student to their re-observa- 
tion. But it would be unwise, as forming a bad precedent, to 
accept a group of stars of this inferior type as meriting to rank 
amongst the old constellations, when we have numbers of richer 
groups, situated on their confines, which first deserve such a 
distinction. However special or unique the circumstances con- 
nected with certain telescopic stars may be, and however neces- 
sary it may appear to signalize them by a specific title, we are 
inclined to question the adoption of such means as likely to 
exercise a wrong influence, inasmuch as it may hereafter 
originate further innovations of a similar character, and ulti- 
mate complications will be certain to arise. 
Soon after the discovery of Uranus, it was suspected that 
the planet was encircled, like Saturn , by a luminous ring, but on 
subsequent observation this was not confirmed ; and no such 
appendage has ever been revealed in the more perfected instru- 
ments of our own times. Indeed, if Uranus displays a peculi- 
arity of constitution in any way analogous to the ring-system 
of Saturn , it must be of the most minute character so as to 
have thus evaded telescopic scrutiny during a hundred years. 
The discovery soon attracted the notice of royalty, and 
the reigning sovereign, George III., anxious to practically 
express his appreciation of the valuable labours of Herschel, 
awarded him a pension of 200/. a-year and furnished him with 
a residence at Slough, near Windsor, and the means to erect a 
gigantic telescope with which he might be enabled to continue 
his important researches. This instrument consisted of a re- 
flector on the ‘ Front-view 9 construction, with a speculum 4 feet 
in diameter and of 40 feet focal length. Upon its completion, 
Herschel immediately began to observe the region of the new 
planet with the idea of discovering any satellites which might 
belong to it, for analogy suggested that it was surrounded by a 
numerous retinue of such bodies. He was soon successful, for, 
on the night of January 11, 1787, he saw two minute objects 
near the planet, which renewed observations revealed to be 
satellites ; and he detected two additional ones in 1790, and 
two others in 1794, making six in all. But the observations 
were of extreme difficulty. The path of the planet frequently 
passed near minute stars, and it became hard to distinguish 
between them and the suspected satellites. Herschel, however, 
considered he had obtained conclusive evidence of the existence 
