Our Astronomical Column

Abstract

BARON D'ENGELHARDT's OBSERVATORY. —Baron D'Engel-hardt has recently published the first volume of the results of the astronomical observations obtained at his private observatory in Dresden. At first-the observatory was erected in the Rue Leubnitz, but was found to be too far from the dwelling-house, and in 1879 tne present edifice was erected in the Rue Liebig, close to the Baron's residence, with which it is connected by a covered gallery. The observatory is very completely fitted up. The principal instrument is a fine equatorial by Grubb of 12 inches aperture, replacing one of 8 inches which had been erected in the first observatory. There are, two sidereal clocks, a chronograph, a transit-instrument of the bent form, which replaces one by Cook, a very complete Repsold micrometer, and two comet-seekers of special construction. The conduct of the screw of the Repsold micrometer has been very carefully investigated and the inquiry occupies a dozen pages. The observations are principally micrometer measures of nebulæ and star-clusters; but besides these there are very many observations of comets and minor planets, of the phenomena of Jupiter's satellites and of the new stars in the great nebula of Andromeda and near X1 Orionis, besides meridian observations of the moon and culmin-ator stars. The volume, which is a very handsome one, contains four plates representing different parts of the observatory. The geographical position of the centre of the transit-instrument is given as lat. = 51° 2′ 19″N., and long. =oh. 54m. 54.74s. East from Greenwich.