Our Astronomical Column

Abstract

CONTINENTAL OBSERVATORIES.—The last number of the Vierteljahrsschrift der Astronomischen Gesellschaft contains reports of the proceedings of some twenty of the observatories on the continent during the year 1881. At Berlin observations for the zone + 20° to 25°, were actively continued, upwards of 10,000 being made in the year. The 9-inch refractor was employed for comets and small planets, &c, the physical appearances of the comet 1881 III. receiving special attention. With the Declinograph 1200 small stars were observed, making, up to the end of 1881, 12,329 stars, mostly from the eleventh to the thirteenth magnitudes, thus determined, in connection with the identification and observation of the small planets. At Bonn the southern “Durchmusterung” furnished observations of upwards of 14,000 stars, so that rapid progress is being made with this work under the direction of Prof. Schönfeld. At Brussels astronomical physics, as well as meridian observations, have been attended to; the meteors of the August period were extensively observed over Belgium; Christiania was mainly occupied, under Dr. Fearnley, with the zone 65° — 70°, and the curious circumstance of the existence of four variable stars in this zone within a radius of 1° is recorded, the first in 20h. 59m. 20s. + 66° 8′.5, has been estimated by various observers from 5m. (Lalande) to 9m. (Argelander), the second is in 20h. 59m. 48s. + 67° 35′.5, the third in 21h. 7m. 33m. + 67° 54′.4, and the fourth in 21h. Iim. 49s. + 66° o′.9, for 1855.0. Baron v. Engelhardt, at Dresden, has zealously observed the various comets of the year, and has made III observations of 19 minor planets, the principal instrument in the Baron's observatory is an equatorial refractor by Howard Grubb, of Dublin, aperture 306 mm. A new physical observatory has been erected at Herény, Hungary, by Eugen and Alexander von Gothard, the position of which is 12m. 49.8s. east of Berlin, with latitude 47° 16′ 37″; the observatory is provided with a 101/4 inch equatorially mounted reflector by Browning, of London, observations were commenced in the second week of November, and chiefly consisted of the examination of star-spectra. At Keil an 8-inch refractor by Steinheil has been received: meridian observations here were largely devoted to circumpolar stars + 79° to 82°, but according to the present plan, the observations will be continued to the pole. Leipsic is now under the direction of Prof. H. Bruns. At Lund the zone undertaken by the observatory was continued, more than 5200 stars being determined. From the Observatory of Brera, Milan, Prof. Schiaparelli makes the welcome announcement that the late Baron Dembowski had confided to him all his astronomical manuscripts with the condition that they were to be utilised to the best advantage for the science. His measures of double stars, upwards of 20,000 in number, will be published under the auspices of the Accademia Reale dei Lincei; they are to form four volumes, of which the first will contain the measures made by Dembowski at Naples with his Plössl Dialyte in the years 1852–58; the second and third, the observations made at Galarate on stars of the Dorpat Catalogue, and the fourth, the measures of stars in W. Struve's appendix, the Pulkowa Catalogue, and double stars discovered by other astronomers, more especially by the eminent American observer, Mr. Burnham. The first volume is in course of preparation. At Plonsk Dr. Jedrzejewicz continues, in his private observatory, measures of double stars as his principal work. The passages of the red spot on Jupiter, by the middle of the disc, were micrometrically determined from November 25, 1880, to February 5, 1881, from 174 rotations, the period was found to be 9h. 55m. 34.41s. ± 0.13s., and at the same time the jovicentric latitude of the centre of the spot was found —22°.8, and its length in degrees of the parallel 26°.4; the third and fourth comets of 1881 and Encke's comet were also observed for position. The physical observa-toiy at Potsdam was in full activity, and in addition to the more special subjects of observation undertaken by this important establishment, an extensive series of observations of variable stars was secured in 1881. From Stockholm Dr. Hugo Gylden notifies his determination of the parallax of the star Bradley 3077, or No. 240 in Argelander's Catalogue of 250 stars, forming part of the seventh volume of the Bonn observations: the resulting value is o″.283 ± 0″.0468; this star has considerable proper motion. Prof. K. Wolf communicates, from Zurich, he monthly numbers of days with and without sun-spots, and the relative numbers: in the whole year's observing-days, the sun was free from spots on five days, and exhibited spots on 297.