nebulosity about 734 is evident, but it extends only a few seconds from the star. Exposure 40: For the examination of the brightest parts of the nebula this exposure is almost long enough. The nebulosity shows well, and the images of the brighter stars are not yet so large as to be very troublesome. The sharp edge of nebulosity, which extends to star 793, does not show. The nebulosity about 734 does not extend more than 50′′ from the star in any direction. Exposure 60: On the whole, this exposure is about the best for this object with the great telescope. Exposure 97: The bright central portions of the nebula have become too dense with this exposure, and the bright stars are too large, while there is little real gain in the extent of the fainter nebulosity. Exposure 195: The same remarks as for 97". The nebulosity about 734 is now perfectly well shown. The foregoing memoranda, which will be of little interest to those who are not familiar with the nebula, are yet of value in the comparison of the great telescope with other photographic instruments. They show that for stars and clusters it has material advantages, both in its aperture and in its long focus. For the brighter nebulæ it has advantages on account of the large scale of the picture. For the fainter nebulæ short-focused reflectors of large aperture are much to be preferred. The preceding data enable one to judge quantitatively of these points. E. S. H. DUPLICATES IN THE LIBRARY OF THE LICK OBSERVATORY. The following duplicate volumes, among others, are in the library of the Lick Observatory. All of them are neatly and substantially bound, some of them in morocco: ARAGO: Astronomie Populaire, 4 vols., 8vo. ARGELANDER: Abo Observations, vols. 1, 2, 3, folio... BALL: Elements of Astronomy, 1 vol., 16m0. BERLINER JAHRBUCH: for 1887, I vol., 8vo. GOULD: Uranometria Argentina (the text only), I vol., 4to. 4to. LONDON: Memoirs Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 24, 1 vol., NEWCOMB Popular Astronomy, German translation by ENGELMANN, 1 vol., 8vo. TODD: Tables of the Satellites of Jupiter, 1 vol., 4to. WOLF: Handbuch d. Mathematik, etc. 2 edition. 2 vols., 8vo. We should be glad to exchange these volumes for others which are lacking and needed in our library, as for example: ARGELANDER: OELTZEN'S ARGELANDER'S Northern Zones. ARGELANDER: The maps (only) to the first section of the DM. (+ 90°,—2°). ARMAGH The first Armagh Catalogue of Stars. BULLETIN ASTRONOMIQUE: vols. 1, 2 wanted. HEVELIUS: Selenographia.. NATURE: Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4 wanted. OBSERVATORY: The Observatory-the volumes earlier than vol. 9 are wanted. STRUVE: Positiones Mediæ, etc. E. S. H. GOVERNMENT AID TO ASTRONOMY IN FRANCE AND BELgium. The following sums are included in the French Budget of the year 1891: Observatory of Paris, $45,600; besides a sum of $12,000 supplementary to the appropriation of 1890. Observatory of Meudon, $14,200. Observatories of Algiers, Besançon, Bordeaux, Lyons, Marseilles and Toulouse, $34,340. (Some of these observatories receive additional support from the universities; the municipalities, etc.) Bureau of Longitudes, $29,000. An additional sum of $36,400 is allotted to the Central Meteorological Bureau of France. The Royal Observatory of Belgium, which is at the same time astronomical and meteorological, receives this year $12,400 for both services. --from Ciel et Terre, vol. 2, p. 543. ADDITIONS TO THE THIRTY-SIX INCH EQUATORIAL. The Driving Clock of the large telescope is actuated by a weight of 600 lbs., which requires to be wound every two hours or so. The winding used to be done by hand, and was a severe labor, requiring as it did between four and five foot-tons of work. A PELTON waterwheel has lately been fitted inside the iron pier (February, 1891), and connected with the winding-shaft by belting, and the clock can now be wound in less than five minutes, by opening a valve in the clock-closet, which occupies the upper section of the iron pier. Something more than 2500 foot-tons of actual manual labor is thus spared to us each and every year. There is no accepted unit in which to express the worry which is saved to the observer by this simple apparatus. Two or three other simple devices have been in use for the past year, which deserve mention, as they save time. A bell is sounded by the clock-weight in its descent five minutes before a new winding is necessary. The clock itself can be stopped or started by pulling a string which hangs down'along the whole length of the east side of the pier, so as to be always within reach. A square wooden frame has been fitted over the object end of the telescope to carry a common spring-roller curtain to cover the objective. The curtain will always remain fully rolled up (the objective being thus uncovered), unless a string is pulled from the eye-end. At the end of a night's work the string is made tight and fastened, and the objective is thus protected from dust without taking the time to turn the object-end down and without putting on a special cover. All these are small things, but each of them has proved to be a decided convenience. E. S. H. A BRILLIANT METEOR. A shooting star of unusual size and brilliancy was seen to pass over this city about 10:50 o'clock last evening (March 13). The light was of a bluish cast. The star appeared to pass quite close to the earth. -(From the San Francisco Chronicle, March 14, 1891.) MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE DIRECTORS A. S. P., HELD IN THE ROOMS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 28, 1891, FROM 7:30 TO 8 P. M. A quorum was present. The minutes of the last meeting were approved. Mr. H. F. NEWALL, Observatory, Cambridge, England, Mr. J. C. CEBRIAN and Dr. J. CALLANDREAU of San Francisco were duly elected life members. The following active members were duly elected: Mrs. SARAH B. GAMBLE, L. J. HOLTON, T. C. JOHNSTON, OLIVER E. PAGIN, Miss ELIZABETH H. PEARSON, ARCHER B. PIERCE, The Earl of ROSSE, A. L. SMITH, HARRY W. Syz, JOSEPH B. WALKER, 2251 Calumet Ave., Chicago, Ill. Gesellschaft Urania, Berlin, Germany. Berkeley, Cal. Berkeley, Cal. 819 Market Street, S. F., Wilmington, Delaware. Cal. 1502 Pine Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 1222 Pine Street, S. F., Cal. San José, Cal. Oakland, Cal. University of California, Berkeley. 219 Savin Hill Avenue, Boston, Mass. The Resignation of F. G. BLINN was received and accepted. The following action of the Directors in conjunction with Hon. JOSEPH A. DONOHOE was ordered to be printed: AMENDED REGULATIONS FOR THE BESTOWAL OF THE COMET MEDAL. SAN FRANCISCO, February 26, 1891. The Committee on the Comet-medal having recommended certain changes in the rules relating to its bestowal, and the founder of the medal having signified in writing his consent to these changes, we the undersigned members of the Board of Directors A. S. P. hereby vote for the acceptance of the rules as changed and as written below. WILLIAM ALVORD; CHAS. BURCKHALTER; C. M. GRANT; C. B. HILL; EDWARD S. HOLDEN; E. J. MOLERA; W. M. PIERSON; J. M. Schaeberle; F. SOULÉ. COMET MEDAL OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE PACIFIC. I. A medal of bronze is established as a perpetual foundation to be given for the discovery of comets, as follows : The medal is to bear on the obverse side the effigy of a bright comet among stars, with the legend "ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE PACIFIC" around the border; and on the reverse the inscription, "THIS MEDAL FOUNDED IN 1890 BY JOSEPH A. DONOHOE, IS PRESENTED TO..........(the name of the discoverer) TO COMMEMORATE THE DISCOVERY OF A COMET ON........(the date)." It is to be understood that this medal is intended solely as a recognition of merit, and not as a reward. II. The medal will be given to the actual discoverer of any unexpected comet. III. The discoverer is to make his discovery known in the usual way, and, in order to simplify the work of the committee, which, in certain cases may be called upon to consider the merits of several independent discoveries of the same object, he should also address a letter to the Director of the Lick Observatory, which should state the exact time of the discovery, the position of the comet, the direction of its motion (when this can be determined), and the physical appearance of the object. No application for the bestowal of the medal is required. The letters received from discoverers of comets will be preserved in the records of the Lick Observatory. Cable telegrams to the Lick Observatory are to be addressed to "Astronomer, San Francisco." IV. All communications will be referred to a committee consisting of the Director of the Lick Observatory, ex officio, and of two other persons, members of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, who are to be annually appointed by the Board of Directors. The decisions of this committee are to be final upon all points relating to the award of the medal. The committee will print an annual statement of its operations in the publications of the Society. Under ordinary circumstances the comet medal will be awarded within two months after the date of the discovery. In cases of doubt a longer period may elapse. The medal will not be awarded (unless under the most exceptional circumstances) for the discovery of a comet until enough observations are secured (by the discoverer or by others) to permit the calculation and verification of its orbit. V. This medal is to be a perpetual foundation from and after January 1, 1890. It was reported by Mr. HOLDEN that he had turned over to Mr. BURCKHALTER on March 24, the bond of the Treasurer, the receipt (No. 2796) of the French Mint for the dies of the Comet-medal, and bank-books Nos. 50,715, 51,529 (S. F. S. U.) and 64,347 (G. S. & L. S.) as well as all the remaining blank diplomas and the original drawing of the diploma. The Notices to Members as printed on the last page of the present number of the Publications were authorized. Adjourned. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE DIRECTORS A. S. P., HELD IN THE ROOMS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 28, 1891, FROM 9:30 TO 10:30 P. M. The new board of Directors was called to order by Mr. HOLDEN. A quorum was present. The minutes of the last meeting were approved. The business in hand being the election of officers for the ensuing year, Mr. PIERSON was duly elected President of the Society and took the chair. |