Mr. Pond on the parallax of the fixed stars. 161 
I anxiously wish to keep open for future experiment and 
investigation. 
The question of parallax in a theoretical point of view, is 
scarcely of any importance, it is in fact one of mere curiosity. 
The motion of the earth has long since ceased to be a sub- 
ject of controversy, and could a difference of opinion still be 
supposed to exist, the advocates for the Copernican system 
would derive but slender support from the discussion of such 
small variations, as form the subject of this Paper. But with 
reference to the state of practical astronomy the case is very 
different ; in the future history of this branch of the science, 
that period of time will always acquire a certain degree of 
celebrity, in which astronomical instruments shall have been 
brought to such a degree of perfection, as to exhibit distinctly 
the effects of parallax in the fixed stars, and to distinguish 
these from the variety of complicated oscillations to which, 
from other causes, they are perpetually subject : and, as far 
as relates to the natural history of the sidereal system (if I 
may so express myself), it is surely a subject of rational 
curiosity to ascertain whether the distance of the nearest 
fixed star can be numerically expressed from satisfactory 
data, or if it be really so immeasureably great, as to exceed 
all human powers either to conceive or determine. 
As I have already observed, the object of this communica- 
tion is not to decide this question, but to state the result of 
the Greenwich observations. 
The first star I shall consider, is « Lyras ; this star having 
been diligently observed from the first erecting of the instru- 
ment with a view to this particular investigation. 
In the annexed Tables will be seen the observations selected 
Y 
MDCCCXVII. 
