the two lately discovered celestial Bodies. 229 
were known before; so that planets, asteroids, and comets, will 
in future comprehend all the primary celestial bodies that either 
remain with, or only occasionally visit, our solar system. 
I shall now give a definition of our new astronomical term, 
which ought to be considerably extensive, that it may not only 
take in the asteroid Ceres, as well as the asteroid Pallas, but 
that any other asteroid which may hereafter be discovered, let 
its motion or situation be whatever it may, shall also be fully 
delineated by it. This will stand as follows. 
Asteroids are celestial bodies, which move in orbits either of little 
or of considerable excentricity round the sun, the plane of which 
may be inclined to the ecliptic in any angle whatsoever. Their 
motion may be direct, or retrograde ; and they may or may not 
have considerable atmospheres, very small comas, disks, or 
nuclei. 
As I have given a definition which is sufficiently extensive to 
take in future discoveries, it may be proper to state the reasons 
we have for expecting that additional asteroids may probably 
be soon found out From the appearance of Ceres and Pallas 
it is evident, that the discovery of asteroids requires a particular 
method of examining the heavens, which hitherto astronomers 
have not been in the habit of using. I have already made five 
reviews of the zodiac, without detecting any of these concealed 
objects. Had they been less resembling the small stars of the 
heavens, I must have discovered them. But the method which 
will now be put in practice, will completely obviate all difficulty 
arising from the asteroidical appearance of these objects ; as their 
motion, and not their appearance, will in future be the mark to 
which the attention of observers will be directed. 
A laudable zeal has induced a set of gentlemen on the 
MDCCCII. H h 
