American continent, and I hope that American observers will keep an eye out for it in future. The great extent of the United States might enable it, if it be an atmospheric phenomenon, to be viewed simultaneously from all sides; while if it presented similar features at distant stations, light would also be thrown on its origin. Possibly, the present paper may lead to the publication of similar observations already made in America. The subject is, I think, worthy of the attention of astronomers. Even if the appearances should prove to be atmospheric, the atmosphere is the medium through which all observations must be made, and it is highly desirable on that account to become acquainted with all its properties. Its influence on the phenomena of lunar eclipses is of a very marked character, and has hardly received adequate consideration; while the twinklings of the stars is believed to be also an atmospheric phenomenon. It is probably owing to this twinkling - certainly to some property of the atmosphere that stars are often caught by glimpses, and that astronomers have imagined that they saw stars were there were none. The satellites of Uranus and the stars in the trapezium of Orion form remarkable examples of this. If we could remove the atmosphere, our seeing would be steady. But the occurrences in the upper portions of the atmosphere are worthy of study on their own account, and astronomers are the persons to study them. A pulsation or flickering, for instance, has often been observed in the tail of a comet. It has been pointed out that this can hardly be real; but if not so, it must indicate the passing of a wave of a peculiar character through the atmosphere. This wave seems to pass from the head of the comet to the end of the tail; and as the tail is pointed towards the Sun, the atmospheric wave must pass in the same direction. Twinkling is perhaps a similar phenomenon which exhibits itself among the stars successively rather than simultaneously a star nearer to the Sun exhibiting any given phase later than a star more remote from it on the sphere. The condition of the upper strata of the atmosphere may also seriously affect our results in meteoric astronomy; for no meteor can be seen until it has traversed a sufficient quantity of air to change its original extreme cold into intense luminosity. But does such luminosity imply intense heat, or does the rush of the meteor excite some such properties in the air as those which render themselves visible in the aurora? We have a good deal still to learn about our atmosphere, and it may afford a guide to us in dealing with the atmospheres of other bodies. (TWENTY-SIXTH) AWARD OF THE DONOHOE COMET-MEDAL. The Comet-Medal of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific has been awarded to Mr. C. D. PERRINE, Assistant Astronomer in the Lick Observatory, for his discovery of an unexpected comet on November 2, 1896. The Committee on the Comet-Medal, From observations made at the Lick Observatory by Mr. C. D. PERRINE on December 8th, 9th, and 10th, we have computed the following elements and ephemeris of Comet g, 1896, (PERRINE). The observations were telegraphed to the Students' Observatory by Dr. HOLDEN:— [The ephemeris at four-day intervals from December 13th to 25th is here omitted.] The brightness decreases from 0.91 (December 13th) to 0.59 (December 25th). STUDENTS' OBSERVATORY, Berkeley, December 12, 1896. LIST OF EARTHQUAKES IN CALIFORNIA FOR THE YEAR 1896. COMPILED BY C. D. PERRINE. The following list is a continuation of similar reports printed in these Publications: Vol. II, p. 74; Vol. III, p. 247; Vol. V, p. 127; Vol. VI, p. 41; Vol. VII, p. 99, and Vol. VIII, p. 222. A more complete account will be published by the United States Geological Survey as a bulletin. The dates are civil dates. The times are Pacific Standard (120th meridian). Roman numerals enclosed in parentheses indicate the intensity on the ROSSI-FOREL Scale. Some doubtful cases have been included, and are indicated by an interrogation point enclosed in parenthesis. LIST OF EARTHQUAKE SHOCKS, 1896. January 3. Esquimault (B. C.), 10:09 P. M. Reported by E. BAYNES REED, Esq. Victoria (B. C.), 10:20 P. M.; Port Angeles (Wash.), 10:30 P. M. The volcano of Kilauea in the Hawaiian Islands in eruption. January 5. Volcanoes below the Cocopah Mountains reported in eruption. January 8. Lake Chepala, Mexico. January 25. Carson (Nevada), 4:45 A. M.; 4:46 A. M.; 5:02 A. M. Reported by Professor C. W. FRIEND. January 27. Carson (Nevada), 7:59 A. M. (II); 8:34 A.M. (III); 11:04 A. M. (III); 11:19 A. M. (I); 1:01 P. M. (IV); 6:32 P. M. (II), and quite a number of light tremors between. Reported by Professor C. W. FRIEND. February 5. Tauquiz Mountain (near San Jacinto). Volcanic eruption. (?) February 6. East Clallam (Wash.), 9:55 P. M. February 13. Redding, 10± A. M.; Weaverville, 9:55 A. M.; Eureka, 9:55 A. M. February 15. Los Angeles, 2:52 P. M. (another report says 2:45 P. M.); Pasadena, 2:57 P. M. March 15. Burrard Mountains (ten miles from Vancouver, (B. C.). Volcanic eruption. (?) April 2. Portland (Oregon), 3:20± A. M.; McMinnville (Ore gon), 3:17 A. M. April 28. San Francisco, 2:57 P. M.; Alameda. June 20. Tidal wave on the Mendocino coast. July 3. San Diego, 9:27 P. M. July 23. Vallejo, 1:50 A. M. August 11. Mt. Hamilton, 8:58:7 P. M. (II). E. S. H.; Alameda. August 17. Merced, 3:40 A. M.; Visalia, 3:29, or 3:30 A. M. (another report says 3:26 A. M.). August 18. Mt. Hamilton, 11:0:24 P. M. (III). E. S. H.; 11:0:13 P. M. A. L. C.; Napa, P. M.; Evergreen, 11:0:15 P. M. Reported by WM. WEHNER, Esq. August 19. Alameda. August 26. Mount Hood (Oregon). An avalanche. (Due to an earthquake (?). September 1. Pinole, Contra Costa County, California. Powder Works exploded at I P. M. September 24. 5h 25m 30° P. M. (III), E. S. H. October 19. November 3. November 11. November 29. 5 P. M. December 17. 5 25 45" P. M. (I), C. D. P.) Santa Rosa, 6 A. M. Mt. Hamilton, 10:58.44 ± 1 A. M., W. W. C. Mt. Hamilton, 11:3:37 A. M. (I). C. D. P. Santa Barbara. At 8 A. M. a tidal wave destroyed a large section of the boulevard. December 22. Mt. Hamilton, 1h 52m 42 P. M., P. S. T. (TWENTY-SEVENTH) AWARD OF THE DONOHOE COMET-MEDAL. The Comet-Medal of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific has been awarded to Mr. C. D. PERRINE, Assistant Astronomer in the Lick Observatory, for his discovery of an unexpected comet on December 8, 1896. The Committee on the Comet-Medal, EDWARD S. HOLDEN, 1897, February 8. NOTICES FROM THE LICK OBSERVATORY.* PREPARED BY MEMBERS OF THE STAFF. PHOTOGRAPH OF THE SOLAR SURFACE MADE AT THE LICK OBSERVATORY. [See the Frontispiece.] The frontispiece of the present volume is a gelatine print of a portion of the solar surface copied by Mr. A. L. COLTON from a negative made by himself and Mr. C. D. PERRINE, with the thirty-six-inch equatorial, on October 19, 1896, at 10" 21" 2' A. M. The aperture of the great telescope was reduced to eight inches, and the exposure was made by means of a quick-shutter presented to the Lick Observatory by Dr. A. BLAIR THAW, of Santa Barbara. Dr. THAW bears the expense of making the plate for this number of the Publications, and deserves and will receive the thanks of the Society. EDWARD S. HOLDEN. DISCOVERY OF COMET g, 1896, (PERRINE). This comet was discovered on the evening of December 8th, at about 11:30 o'clock, in the constellation Pisces. At 20h 29m 48" G. M. T. its position was R. A. oh 52" 26.70, Decl. +6° 24′ 51′′.9. It was moving rapidly east and more slowly south. The comet was moderately bright,—about as bright as a star of eighth magnitude, -and in the four-inch comet-seeker appeared round, with a well-defined central condensation. In the twelveinch equatorial, the comet was about 5' in diameter, and showed a stellar nucleus. The nebulosity surrounding the head did not appear to be symmetrical, but was more sharply defined on the south following side, while it was extended on the north preceding side in the shape of a broad fan. This fan-like extension was not traceable for any considerable distance. On subsequent * Lick Astronomical Department of the University of California. |