New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-02-03

FROM tnt ptc'ious t~Ocm ~ iDuoScu VIA ~
the lst Of January, 1917 the heocentric longitude
of the required orb mu't be 3250 An Astonishing
approximation. with which most men would have
been satisfied; bat il only informed LEvEkhikh
that farther accuracy might ye, be obtained
On the 3lst of August 1876. LIvrRREs produced
his last great paper 10 the Institute. Daring DIS
former researches or previous to bis having Sc
lected any par, OF the eciptc az more likely than
the others 10 contain the new Planet. he bad con
fined himself to consideration Of a certain number
Of the facts ascertained In regard OF Uranus-se'
lected because Of their fitness 20 yield nrst ap-
Proclamation; but 70 give his WORK TIE utmost pre-
cision Of which II was susceptible, he now en-
nloved the whole OF the nineteen old observations
made bet~ 1920 and l77l, and very large num-
Der of the two hundred aud sixty two places found
In the records Of the observations OF Greenwich
and Paris between l75l and ls45 each Of these
separate facts giving distinct EQUATION Of cords-
ton as it is termed, or numerical vslue OF certain
combinations OF the unknown quantities. VIZ the
correction OF the elements Of the orbit Of Uranus
and the mass, and the elements Of the orbit OF the
Planet sought for. No fewer than nine unknown
quan,itea were involved in this work and he re-
duced his equations ultimately 70 the number OF
tirtyfhree. The treatment OF these, sgain IN
volved immense toll and it was while undergoing
this last labor that LEvERRIER had the modification
TO observe that before his calculations co1d posi-
bly close the planet IN It's apparent course through
position the most favorable for its being seen Hs
isbors at length were terminated aod he an.
nounced finally TO the French Academy the follow
ing elements
P,sus Of the orbit ss15l times that Of the Earth.
Period Ct revoution, az 3s7 years.
mean Jsau 1SPs'i IT, iissa,} 80
Mass, VOW
From which, an easy computation showed that
the true heliocentrc longitude on lst January lsi'
must be
instead Of 3259
"a roughly given by bis first approximation how
singular that scene in the Academy A Young
man not vet at lifes prime, speaking unfalterlngy
NJ the necessities of the most august Forms OF
Creation-passing onwards where eye never was
and placing hrs foger on that precise pontoi space
in which grand Orb lay concealed having peen
lad N IT'S lurking place by his appreciation OF those
vsst harmonies which stamp the Universe with
coosummste perfection Never was there accom-
nlisbed a nobler work and never work more MOLLY
donel IL is the eminent characteristic oil these
labOrs OF LFvERRIER, that az no moment old Ms
faith ever waver: the majesty OF the enterprise
vas eoaglled BY the resolution and confidence OF
the Man He trod those dark spaces as COLUMBUS
hore himself amid the waste Ocean; even wben
there was no syeck or shadow q augbt substantial
around the wide horzon-holdng by bis convic
ZION in those grand verites which ere not the less
real because above sense ana pushing oh"a'"
toward his New World Great aPplsuse)
We touch on the close of this long and noble en-
deavor, VIZ the actual discovery of the Planet
There are several poists connected with this act
which IL is of extreme importance that my readers
rightly understand. The discovery OF planet by
the telescope can he made only IN one OF two ways
by the observation Of one Of those two features
which alone distinguish such a body from fixed
star viz its possession Of papabie dic, or its hay
log planetary motion.
II the orb is OF sufficient magnitude TO exhibit
measurable disc TO the telescope employed In the
research its discovery is comparatively easy TOR
the feature 10 question wholly separates it from the
class of the Fixed Stars. These mighty orbs, al
though OF the magnitude Of Suns are seated so pro
foundry in space that TO the largest instrument
with which we have yet examined them they up
pear with brilance augmented indeed in proper
ton TO the size OF the telescope, but still only ss
poirts severed essentially from those small orbs
whose dimensions we can descry and compare, and
which are our companions and nelghoors. ~ was
this attribute which revealed Uranus To II ERscHFL;
and LEvERRIgR threw out the idea that the actual
mass of Neptune, and the augmented power of the
Instruments that now be pressed into service
OF such research favored the expectation that, by
its possession of visible disc, and therefore with
out any overpoweriog labor, this new Planet would
be found In several parts OF this rem arkaole work,
Discovery seems TO have been attended by pro
pi,ious chance; and although, as we shall after
ward see the grounds OF LEvERRIER's expectations
were here iallacious. his prediction OF the &C
tual apparent size of Neptune approached surprs
ingly to the truth. This disc, however, although
definite and measurable, is so small as to be almost
illusory aud it was no, by 1t that the Planet was
discerned
Unsided by any visible disc, toe Explorer has
only enc other resource: among the multitude Of
small stars in the quarter of the Heavens where
the unknown orb is oncsived to lie he requires to
ascertain whether any one has planetary motion.
nj this cannot be dscerned by single inspec-
ton The motion nj remoteneases like those with
which we are now being converssnt, must be so
slow, that for the brieftim of one night or even
Of several nights it may be virtually equivalent TO
stiffness so that it cannot be detected save in one
way viz: the careful pnrson Of the state OF the
Heavens on one night with their state on some
other night separated from the first by consider
able interval. Now, this comparison is not easily
1t involves great labor it re-
quires that accurate map be made OF all the email
stars in the region Of the sky under scrutiny, al
these tpo sereroi tunes and to do this-to map the
small stars in any region OF the sky even once, In
wolves labor so great-taking the necessary ex-
Attitude into account-thst LEyERRIER glaoy ex.
pected the desired result from the visibility of
A disc and Fortune was again favorable
For many years q great enterprise has been in
the act of being performed by the Academy q; Der
ln--chiefiy through the instigaton OF the illnstri
Gus BEssEL. Convinced OF the great importance Of
the work especially with regard to such discoveries
as this-the Academy undertood the mapping
with all the precision which our modern lnstru
NETS render possible-of the small stars along the
entire Z,diac or along that belt of the sky, where
from the analogy Of the other parts OF our system
new planets might be expected to be seen. The
labor required to achieve this was enormous snd II
was divided among great number Of persons. hav
ing requisite instruments. Now, IL so happened
that the map OF that precise region where the new
planet was expected, had been completed by Dr.
BREMIKER and it was priating, or just printed, at
Berlin II believe that the Observatory OF Berlin
had obtained the proof sheet The Astronomers of
this Institution thus in position Of power
garding such inquiries, enjoyed by no other Obser-
vatory in existence: they had simply 10 notice
BREMIKERs Map and then the Sky-observng if
there was discrepancy betw cen the two pictures,
that could be accounted for by the planetary
motion Of some one star: 40 that-with their
nowned ssgacity and the excellence Of theirinstru
men,s-an ins pection OF the Heavens on one clear
night might accomplish the resolution OF this great
problem. And thus IL even was; the Planet was
discovered actually,by NJ. GALE, on thevery eve
ming Of the day on which he received the letter of
LEvsRRiER indicating its place tApplause)
As ascertained by Al. Gale, the heliocentric lon