Abstract
THE OBSERVATORY OF PARIS.—Rear-Admiral Mouchez has issued his report on the work of this establishment during the year 1884. The completion of the re-observation of Lalande's stars has led to a new disposition of the meridian-instruments, one of which, on the proposal of M. Lcewy, is now occupied with the determination of a number of circumpolar stars on his new method; the great meridian-circle and the circle of Gambey are still employed for observations of the minor planets, and of comparison-stars for planets, comets, and nebulae observed with the equatorials. The great telescope of 0.74 m. is still unmounted, no suitable position being available in the present state of the grounds of the Observatory. M. Mouchez mentions having received communications from the authorities in Algeria, referring to the possibility of obtaining from the local budget the greater part of the sum that would be required to mount the instrument at the Observatory of Algiers on the summit of the Boudjaréah—an exceptionally favourable situation, which might be visited by the astronomers of the Paris Observatory for special observations, but the Council of the latter institution have not availed themselves of the proposition, in the hope that the equatorial may yet be erected at Paris. Amongst the observations made with the instruments in the west tower and the Henry equatorial, are many of the satellites of Uranus and Neptune, the companion of Sirius, the belts of Uranus, nebulæ, and double-stars. MM. Henry have been occupied with astronomical photography during the year, and, as is well known, with great success; various clusters of stars have been photographed, and M. Mouchez appends to his report a reproduction by heliogravure of a plate of the great clusters in Perseus. A trace of the motion of the minor planet Pallas was shown after an exposure of thirty-five minutes. The important results obtained by MM. Henry in photographing very small stars in those crowded parts of the heavens where the Galaxy crosses the ecliptic have been already referred to in this column. Steady progress has been made both with the calculations and printing of the Paris Catalogue of Stars, and it is expected that the first volume of both series (star-positions as observed, and catalogue) will be completed by the end of the year. Vol. xviii. of the Mémoires is finished. The Report further details the personal work of the members of the Observatory staff. Amongst the additions to the Museum is a portrait of Pons, presented by M. Tempel.
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Our Astronomical Column . Nature 32, 112–113 (1885). https://doi.org/10.1038/032112a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/032112a0