Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-11-18
Messrs. GALES d SELroS.
TO THE EDITORS.

send herewith translation OF a communication made by
NJ In NERRrER the French Academy Of Sciences a,
Of its recent meetings. concerning his discovery Of the planet
Neptune. It is made in reply similar communication
made short time before august 2l TO the body by
BARNET concerning another theoretic planet in which
NJ LIZ WERNER considers that his labors made in Indicating
the existence OF Neptune had been dsparaged and depecat
ed NJ lie Verer forth his labors and claims fairly and
bis fluctuations and comparisons plain and oche In
addition to the instances given by him Of the discrepancies
existing among the determinations OF modern astronomers
might have referred TO those deduced from the observations
the transit Of Mercury ls45. This is the phe-
Of the kind Tor which the results have been coated
IL had more Observers better instruments and has presented
greater discrepancies than any former one.
The subject OF the discovery Of Neptune has excited much
interest here and elsewhere and doubt not but that NJ lie
Veres justification will be read with much interest by all
men Of science. TIBERINCS
NOVEMBER 10, ls4s.
TRANSLATION cosPrrs RISDus oF TnE sIrrlxes
% THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.
Sitting IF Sept II, 1s4s.
.fSironomy.-C Communication concerning The MA
net Neptune, By w. u. J. lie Terrir.
Il Is years since discovered he position Of the
planet Neptune, by Of the perurbaons which
sons in the motion Of Uranus. My anxious mporuries
that the result q my labor should be verified by actual oser-
walton were listened TO at erln and the 23d Of Sept,
be 1885, they commenced the Prussan Observatory re-
guar senes o! observations upon Neptune.
could have arrived at the place Of this planet hut by
the Of indirect methods II impossible therefore,
Inst should al reach the precision which actual otser-
vaon has subsequently attained When il becomes neces-
sary to irregularities, whose values for
within TENTH II Is but reasonable suppose las shall be
able To explain dcsed) that The positions thence euccd
should also be affected by similar nsccuracy, on error
taM shall nevertheless make Il appear that the Of
my theory Is much less than a tenth.
IL hence naturally that all assertions TO the contrary
are false Without dsquetng myself above measure at the
noise which The world has found necessary 10 make upon
THIS subject, deem my duty nevertheless do the matter
justice FOR, should suc assume time the place
OF Fuh could hot fail TO bring profound Encouragement
among the who devote themselves the progress Of
science.
The identity Of The planet Neptune with the theorctic
planet says W. Babne in his notice Of the 2lsi Of August
last rs no longer admitted by any person account Of
The differences which have been found to exist in
regard to is mass TO the length Of lis revolution its distance
from The sum- It's eccenlncty and lis longitude Except
Tor the epoch Of rs discovery by VI. Gale very few years
before aud alier.")
III quote this phrase Of the learned philosopher il is merely
b,ciuse contains summary, made with infinite care, Of oil
the pretended difficulties. But must be permitted
cIgnise any difficulty in the grauitous assertion hct the
'd'Riny Is no krger admitted by any person. think al
Ter this discussion will hesitate to say thus NJ.
Blbinot,
Let us first state precisely the question. have deter
mined the position Of Neptune by Of the peurbatous
whlch duces upon Uranus Therefore, when there are
such pcrurhaions able find directly where Neptune
- but, wien these perurbaons do exist would be
impossible 70 30 Let not this be forgotten.
Moreover the action Of planet upon another, Of any
gwen moment depends solely upon its situation in the hea
vens aud It's Therefore the only things which could
have been able 70 conclude from the perubsons Of Uranus
While they bad place, the position in which Neptune
then was us distance from the sun, and its mass.
lie, Us see how have arrived at the determination o
these three quantities
"lst IL that the direction 10 which have placed
Neptune except for the epoch
the discovery Of NJ Gse very few years before and alter
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