Stientijic Intelligence. ^Meteorology. 405 
astronomer was written Koppernick ; he was a canon and physi- 
cian^ and occupied himself in directing buildings. The aque- 
ducts which he constructed at Graudenz, Thorn, and Dantzig, 
still exist. He took 24 years to produce his famous astronomi- 
cal system, against which the thunders of the Vatican were 
hurled when the author was dead. The sentence of condemna- 
tion was only repealed at Rome in 1821 ; Copernicus died in 
1548. The monument which Bishop Kromer erected to him in 
the Cathedral of Frauenbourg, no longer exists. Prussia claims 
Copernicus as one of her sons, although, at this period. Thorn 
did not belong to the Prussians. 
METEOROLOGY. 
5. Temperature of the Sun. — M. Dulong communicated to 
the Institute a letter from M. Pouillet, in which that philoso- 
pher announced, that he was occupied with experiments relative 
to the measure of very elevated temperatures, such as those on 
the surface of incandescent bodies, or bodies in ignition, of 
flames, and particularly of the sun. The instrument used by 
M. Pouillet to obtain these result^-, is founded on the properties 
of radiant heat, and principally on this datum, that a body, the 
bulb of a thermometer for instance, perfectly insulated in the 
midst of a sphere of ice, but so placed as to receive the rays. of 
the sun through a circular aperture of such a form and position, 
that all the lines, forming tangents to the sun and the ball, may 
passthrough it, will be heated precisely in the same manner as 
if it were supposed that a portion of the surface of the sun, or of 
a body heated to the same temperature, exactly filled the aper- 
ture in the ice. M. Pouillet, among other results, states, that the 
temperature of the sun, thus determined, is 1400° (2552° F.). 
6. Luminous Snow Storm on Lochawe. — Towards the lat- 
ter end of March, in the year 1813, a shower of snow fell 
on Lochawe in Argyleshire, which alarmed or astonished 
thos^ by whom it was witnessed, according as they were influ- 
enced by curiosity or superstition. — Some gentlemen, who had 
crossed the lake in the morning, had a good opportunity of 
marking the phenomenon. All had been calmly beautiful 
during the day, and they were returning homewards from 
VOL. XIl. NO. 24. APRIL 1825. D d 
