The assumed First Meridian passes the middle of the illuminated disk at the following times : Major and minor semi-axes of the apparent orbits of the inner satellites, expressed in semi-diameters of Saturn's equator. Approximate Greenwich times of some of the conjunctions of the satellites with the ends of the ring, and also of some of their greatest elongations.-V. p. 189: The position angles of the axes of the apparent orbit of Iapetus are on Sept. 2, 12°57, and on Oct. 2, 12°36 less than those of the inner satellites, the minor semi-axis being on Sept. 2, 9'36, and on Oct. 2, 8.72, and the major semi-axis 60°34 semi-diameters of Saturn's equator, Iapetus is near its superior conjunction, south of the planet, on Sept 2 and near its greatest eastern elongations on Sept. 21. A. M. Books Received.-Report of the New Jersey State Commission for Encouragement of Manufactures. Trenton, N. J.: Naar, Day, & Naar. 1878-Instructions for Observing the Total Solar Eclipse. Washington: Government Printing Office. 1878.-Annals of the Astronomical Observatory of Harvard College. Vol. IX. Leipsig: Wilhelm Engelmann. 1878.-Report of the Kew Committee for the year ending Oct. 31, 1877. -Elements of Sidereal Astronomy. By Jacob Ennis. Philadelphia: Collins. 1878.-Rathmines School Magazine. Dublin. 1878. ASTRONOMICAL REGISTER-Subscriptions received by the Editor. To June, 1878. Knobel, E. B. To Sept, 1878. Jones, W. E. To Oct., 1878. To June, 1879. TO CORRESPONDENTS. We cannot publish communications which are not authenticated by the name and address of the sender, as a guarantee of good faith. When subscriptions sent by post are not acknowledged in the next number, the Editor will be much obliged if subscribers will at once inform him of the fact. All Letters requiring an answer must enclose a penny stamp. The Editor will be obliged if those gentlemen who have not paid their subscriptions will kindly send them by Cheque, Post-office Order, or penny postage stamps, but the Editor will not be liable for loss in transmission. Post Office Orders for the Editor are to be made payable to JOHN C. JACKSON, at Lower Clapton, London, E. The Astronomical Begister. No. 190. OCTOBER. 1878. REMARKS ON THE OBSERVATIONS OF THE ECLIPSE OF JULY 29th, 1878. BY MR. RANYARD. On my return to England, after observing the recent eclipse, I was somewhat surprised to find that the reports which had appeared in the English newspapers had described the corona as very much fainter than the coronas observed during the eclipses of 1870 and 1871. Judging from my remembrance of the corona of 1870, which I observed with a fairly clear sky, at Villasmunda in Sicily, I should have said that the corona of this year was decidedly brighter than that of 1870; and I believe that Prof. Young and Mr. Penrose, both of whom observed the eclipse of 1870 in Spain, are of the same opinion; the photographs also seem to tell the same tale: at all events as to the lower regions of the corona, say up to the height of 15' above the sun's limb. Mr. Brothers' Syracuse photograph shows a greater extension of the corona than any of the photographs which have been taken during the recent eclipse, but there is ample evidence to show that the height of the corona in the equatorial regions, as seen by the naked eye,' was much greater during the recent eclipse than in 1870. Newcomb, Langley, and Abbe, all three, I believe, estimated that the corona extended to a distance of twelve solar diameters in the region of the solar equator, and I * *It seems, therefore, that the corona of 1878 was brighter in its lower regions and again in the higher parts of the equatorial regions, while the corona of 1870 was, probably, brighter in an intermediate region to the north and south, as well as to the east and west of the sun. Judging by Mr. Brothers' photograph, the intermediate region of greater brightness extended from a height of 15' or 20' up to a height of about 45' above the limb. VOL. XVI. |