Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-09-19
ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS
AT THE NAVAL OBSERVATORY, WASHINGTON.

Among the documents Of the last Congress we
md three reports made TO the Navy Department by
Lieui. GLLIs. First an account of the new OBJ
servatoy established mainly by his exeon and whose
ton and successful mounting Of the superb instruments
been completed under his supervision This noticed
more than year ago. Second discussion Of the magnet
cal and meteorological observations made by him under
order Of the Secretary Of the Navy in connexion with the
United States Exploring Expedition and of which highly
honorable notice was taken by the Magnetic Committee
the British Association their last meeting as well as by
This paper and third, the volume whose title given above
THIS contains in about hundred pages the results
Lieut. Glss astronomical observations Capitol H
der instructions from the commander Of the Exploring Expe
dtion, approved by the Hon. j. K PuLDISe then Secre
tay of the Navy.
thus appears that the original purpose of these oserya
tons was the benefit Of the scientific expedition then
the Of its departure from the United States by aorne
corresponding EXAMINATIONS of the moon used in deter
mining differences Of longitude with the stations which il
might occupy during long and perlous voyage among al
most unknown islands,. Comfortably to his Instructions
with one OF the transit instruments imported by the late
HAssLER Tor the coast survey temporarily mounted and
small portable telescope, Lieut. GILLIs observed during
nearly four years. all the visible OCCUPATIONS Of stars and
cumnaons together with occasional notices of the
other planets. sn
Having received from the Royal Astronomical Society
copy OF its catalogue Of stars Mr. GLLIs says 1t
to me that whilst carrying out the objects Of the Exploring
Expedition, the notes which could add to the data
correctly locating the landmarks Of the universe would
be entirely unworthy of collection, and with this object in
uew determined to increase the number Of be
nightly observed, embrace in each three and
half to four minutes between the times of transit of the
hrs and last moon-culminatng starthe interval fixed
being the time ordinarily occupied by the transit of
over all the wires. and setting the finder for its
power unless careful destinations of the apparent magni
udes OF each star observed should enable detect the
termination of the sees variations their Brightness or
confirm the degree of ustre already assigned to them"
The result Of this determination is catalogue of twelve
hundred and stars each observed times
and which is believe the first American catalogue
published We hope it will by be the last. The
conclusions of Lieut. GILLIs the magnudes Of the
observed by him given following his general
ogue, and coated in of double sta with the nves
CATIONS of distinguished European astronomers.
We trust that this volume is but avant Of astro.
nomica science among Indeed the order of Secre-
ary Of the Navy, that published days snce pre-
tory o gears hence for if all the southern visible
in the five instruments Camp Hill be inserted in cata
ogue the number suppose cannot fall far below hun
dred thousand-a extensive list than any extan We
wish them success but reminded Of the saying of the old
philosopher, /" Ausus Dec mprobam steias merare"