The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-06 00:00:00

CAMBRIDGE, JUNE 4.

The Observatory Syndicate have issued their an-
nual report, in which they recommend the purchase
out of the Sheepshanks fund, of a new transit circle,
ect-glass of Bin. diameter by Cooke, the
Simms, at a total cost of 1,175. After
Ifivtittihn
gasn
boyb j
detailing the other work of the Observatory, Profes-
sor Adams reports :
" Considerable attention has been given to the
subject of the periodical meteors, a subject which, I
think, must now be regarded as strictly belonging
to astronomy proper.
" The remarkable display in November last was
closely watched by us in conjunction with Professor
Challis. The courses of a large number of the me-
teors were recorded, and the observations have been
communicated to Mr. Glaisher in order that they
may be compared with simultaneous obsarvations
made at other stations. For a considerable
interval, both before and after the time of the
greatest display, the meteors were so numerous as
to make it utterly hopeless to attempt to identify
any particular meteors observed at different places;
but it is possible that some of those which were
observed when they were occurring less frequently
may hereafter be identified, and that the heights
above the earth's surface at which they appeared
be ascertained.
may, ly
‘ Careful of the position of the
radiant point were made independently by Professor
Challis and by myself. When the radiant point is
known, the only additional datum which is required
in order to determine all the elements of the orbit
of the meteors is their periodic time about the sun.
Now, the value of this element has, I think, been
conclusivelyby
my recent researches,
t
establishedwbi
eba
have
been communicated to the
Cambridge Philosophical Society and the Royal
e results
Astronomical Society.

" In an able paper on November meteors by Pro-
fessor H. A. Newton, of Newhaven, published in the
American Journal of Science and Arts, the author
shows that the periodic time of the meteors about
the sun is restricted to five possible values, each
capable of an accurate determination, and he sug-
gests that the secular motion of _the node of the
orbit, corresponding to each of these periods, may be
calculated, and since the actual motion of the node is
known, it may thus be decided which of the five
periods is the correct one. I have carried out this
suggestion, and found that the theoretical motion
of the node corresponding to four of the five admis-
sible periods is less than one-half of the observed
quantity, whereas the theoretical motion correspond-
mg to the fifth period—namely,
33 years—almost
exactly agrees with the quantity observed. This
seems to leave no room for doubt that the period
which has just been mentioned is the correct one.
" The calculations for determining the theoretical
motion of the node, due to the action of the several
disturbing planets, are necessarily very long. Mr.
Graham has given me most efficient assistance in
making them.
"- A new meteoroscope has been constructed by
Mr. Simms under my direction. The chief points
of difference between this instrument and that
which was originally devised by Professor Chalis
several years since are the two following, viz.:
The verniers for reading off
the horizontal and
vertical circles are placed close together, so that both
circles may be read while the eye retains the same
position. 2. The instrument
is provided with a
position circle carrying a straight edge which can
be readily turned in any direction across the field of
view, so that the direction of
flight of a meteor
may be determined with considerable accuracy."

THE LIVERPooL TOWN COUNCIL AND THE EARL
or DERBY. —At the meeting of the Liverpool Town Council
yesterday it was decide], on the motion of Mr. Picton,
seconded by Mr. Lawrence, that a portrait statue of the
Earl of Derby be erected in St. George's Hall, "in com-
memoration of eminent public services to the nation during
a long
and distinguished public career, and also as a me-
morial of the presentation of the Derby Museum to the
town Of Liverpool."