Our Astronomical Column

Abstract

PRIZES AT THE PARIS ACADEMY.—Among the numerous prizes presented by the Paris Academy (Comptes Rendus, No. 25, Dec. 18), those devoted to the science of astronomy were as follows:—M. Schulhof, the Lalande Prize, for his magnificent researches on comets; Dr. Berberich, the Valz Prize, for his well-known connection with the calculations of cometary and (minor) planetary orbits; and Prof. Langley, the Janssen Prize, for the work he has done relating to the distribution of the heat in the normal solar spectrum, and to the influence exerted on this distribution by both the solar and terrestrial atmospheres. Among the general prizes we notice that the Arago medal has been awarded to two American astronomers, Profs. Asaph Hall and Barnard. The former receives this medal as he was the discoverer of the two satellites of Mars, although on a former occasion he was the recipient of the Lalande prize for the same reason. The latter, it is needless to say, owes this honour to the fine use he made of the great 36-inch telescope of the Lick Observatory, in searching out the fifth, or, as it should be named, the first satellite of Jupiter.