168 Mr. Schroeter/s new Observations 
which are so little exact, and agree so ill together ; and 
I must leave it to be judged by others with what reason any 
person, from such inaccurate measurements, could consider 
mine as erroneous (which besides were made under other cir- 
cumstances, in the year 1793), and the calculations founded 
on them as extremely inexact. Nevertheless, the mean de- 
duced from those examples, namely, i 8°9', agrees very well 
with my observation ; for the following day, when the pro- 
jection ought to be greater, I found it 18 0 28'; though when it 
is considered that the penumbra must be deducted from the 
measurement of my opponent, the mean is somewhat too 
small. His observation, therefore , by no means gives the extent of 
Venus’s twilight greater than mine , but rather something less. 
Thus, by these new measurements and computations, the 
general results I have already deduced in my abovementioned 
paper “ on the atmospheres of Venus and the moon/" relative 
to the atmosphere of Venus, are still more confirmed and jus- 
tified ; and there is no longer any doubt, as my opponent 
agreeing with me allows, that the atmosphere of this planet is 
very dense, like that of the earth. Here then I might rest with 
regard to those conclusions ; however, I find it useful to add 
the following explanatipns, in order to avoid further misun- 
derstanding. 
1. Although, according to those results, there is no doubt, 
that the atmosphere of Venus is as dense as that of our earth, 
yet I do not see in fact, from my observations, how we can con- 
found, against all analogy, a general density, with particular, 
local and accidental, temporary modifications and condensa- 
tions into clouds ; and so positively deny all transparency to this 
atmosphere, as to assert that in the shining of the planet we see by 
