<5 
“220 , . Astronomical Anticipations. 
tain, and often in ateat quantities. From the rapid thaw we alluded to in our lat Report 
the accounts from the country have been truly diftreffing ; the damage dove in low countries 
is almof incalenlable; and there is reafon to fear that the havock commiitted by the floods 
among the fheeps will be productive of ferious eifects upon the country in general. 
The averate témperature for the current month is equal to 44° 2 about 5 degrees higher 
than it was during the fame month laf year, and 7 degrees ‘higher than it was in February 
1807. The average height of the barometer is 29. 207, which is rather tower than it was 
for the lat month.’ The winds have blown chiefiy from the wefterly quarter, fometiines 
north, and fometimes fouth-we&. We may reckon, notwith'anding the great number of | 
rainy atayss nine in which the fun has fhone with great brilliancy. 
Astronomical Anticipations, 
In the courfe of the prefent month the moon will be twice at the full; viz. on the morn- 
ing of the 2d, at 57 minutes paft three; and in the afternoon of the € 31, at 25 minutes, patt 
three. The conjunction or new moon will be on the ntorning of the 16th, at 19 minutes 
paf four. On the evening of the 4th, will take place a notable occultation of the bright 
&ar, of the firft magnitude, in the conftellation of the Virgin, commonly named the Virgin's 
fpike, and by Bayer marked 2. ‘The inmnerfion will take place at the bright edge of the 
moon, ih. 25m. after her rifing, at. 20 minutes paftten, apparent time; and the emertion 
254 minutes afterwards. At the commencement of the phenomenon the ftar will be 15’ 
minutes, and at the end 143 minutes, to the fouth of the moon’s centre. It fhould be 
noticed, that-the fun-dial is 11m..57f. behind a well-regulated clock at the time of the oc- 
cultation. Mercury and Jupiter will be too near the fun this month to be feen with the 
maked eye. Venus will make a very {plendid appearance, every clear evening, in the 
wet, and towards the end of the month may be feen with the waked eye about two hours 
after fon-fet. On the 1ft, her elongation from the fun will be 45° 49", and on the 51, 
44° 48. Her greatett elongation happens on the 13th, when her angular diftance from 
the fun will be 46° 8’. Throughout the month fhe will increafe in {plendour, and will be- 
up between four and fiye hours after fun-tet. About the middle of the month fhe will ap- 
pear dichotomized, as feen through a telefeope, after which the will become horned. Mars 
will. be a morning-itar fer the month. He will be up the greateft part of the night, and 
will make a fine appearance near the Virgin’s fpike, tow ards which bright ftar he will be’. 
conftantly approaching by his retrograde motion, Saturn is itil a morning-ftar. On the 
1ft he rifes at one o’clock in the morning, and on the 31f, at 5 minutes paft eleven, night. 
In the beginning ef the month he will be 5° 32’ lefs in longitude, and 6° 36’ more north, 
than the Scorpion’s heart, a itar of the firft magnitude; on the 13th, the day of Saturn’s 
fationaty appearance, the planet will be feven minutes of a degree nearer to the flar in 
longitude, and only one minute further to the north, than at the beginning of the month ;’ 
and on the 3ift, the difference of Jongitude will be 3° 50’, and of latitude 6° 39’. The 
Ceargium Sidus wilf be above the horizoa the greateft part of the night. On the eveuing’ 
of the 1f he rifes at49 minutes paft ten, on the evening of the 16th at 53 minutes patt 
nine, and on the evening of the 31ft at 56 minutes paft « eight. He may be readily found’ 
with the telefcope, by objerving, that on the 1ft the difference of longitude of this planet’ 
and the bright itar. of the fecond magnitude, in the fouth fcale of the Balance, will be 
ge 50, aad on the 33%, 3° 17’, the ftar, in both cafes, being further to the eaft in longi~ 
tude, and about 7 minutes more to the foath in latitude. That very fiugular fter, the gin 
the conitellation-of Perfeus, fometimes called Medufa’s head, and fometimes Algol, was 
ebferved to be at its leat brightnef: on February 18, at about 8 minutes patt eleven; night, 
slock-time, at which time it was as faint as the ¢ Perfei, of the fourth magnitude. From 
this datum, compared with that of Mr. Goodricke of York, which was fixed on October 25, 
1788, the followmg times of leaft brightnels vifible to Great Britain are, with fufficient 
accuracy, determined to be: the 8th, at 3 minutes pat four, morning; the 11th, at 8 mi- 
nutes before one, mlorning 5 3 the 13th, at 41 minutes paft nine, night ; and the 31ft, at 35 
minutes paft two, morning. Thofe who are curious to obferve the whole phenomenon, 
mut begin to examine the ftar about fout hours before the time of its Jeaft brightnefs, and 
continue their obfervations for the eight confecutive hours. The vernal equinox happens. 
on the nicht of the 20th, at 14 minutes paft twelve, at which moment the real centre of the 
fon will be yifing to all thote places whofe longitude is 874 degrees to the eaft of the Royal 
Opfervatory at Greenw ich, precifely at their fix o ‘clocks’ Pee at the fame mement it will 
‘ be fetting to all thofe places whofe longitude is 93} degrees to the weit of Greenwich. But, 
on account of the refratiive nature of the atmofphere, elpecially in the horizon, the fun’s 
eentre will appear to rife three or four minutes before, and to jet the fame {pace of time 
efter fix. On the-equator the quantity of the acceleration of the rifiag, aud retardation of. 
pa fetting, will be 2m. 14f. in latitude 10 degrees north and fouth, gm. 16f in latitude 
20 degrees, 2m 23f. in latitude 30 degrees, 2m. 35f. in latitude 40 degrees, 2m. 55f. in 
Jat itude 30 degrees, 3m. 28.1: in the jatitude of Londen, Sm. 5a2t. &c. &c. &e.. “sy 
ee 
Evratun in the dsironemicel Anticipavens fer Pebrwarg.webine 3; for nine,” read *cight.* 
