The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-03-22

was no proprety in either observers To the first
suspicion that The object ". satellite aud
p'ausioly recommends that the Engl,sh say II was
discovered by Bond and Lassell the Americans,
BY Lassell and Bond. We do not assent to thus.
Bond saw the object, and mapped Il on the 10Th;
and both observers detected It's true character on
the l9ih.
A multitude Of observations have been made
upon tbs changes In the belts Of the planet Jupiter
These were taken during the years lS45 and io49,
when the planet was iavorably seen Ia h'gn
northern dtcliHation. Changes in these, and IN
the relative brightness Of the satellites have been
mapped out by the observers, with explanatory
notes, exhibiting every interesting phenomena. Ia
the prose cution Of this inquiry, the elder Bond on
OCCASION saw an eclipse OF the hrs. satellite 10
the shadow OF the third, both satellites oeing OH
the planet, and both shadows on. circumstance
necessarily Of rare occurrence, and probably never
b. fore seen
Drawings of the solar spots, which were obtain.
ed on every clear day through the apparent annual
revolution of the sun, have been made at the OBJ
seTvaiory, and, when collected with the notes and
explanations which accompany them, will furnish
new data for the determination of the period OF his
rotation, and will contribute also 10 an explanation
Of those mysterious appearances.
Very valuable observations for the determination
of the suns parallax were made on the planet
Mars in November and December, lSi9, and Jdnu-
sry, 1850, during the opposition Of the planet lbs
position relative TO the best situated fixed stars within
the range of the mcrometer OF the great refracior
was carefully measured every me rning and evening
BY allowing for the motion OF the planet in the inter-
they obtain the sum Of its parallaxes, east and
west, quantity two or three times larger than the
suns parailax, which they propose to obtain from
it. This method has been aforetme practised for
the determination OF the parallax Of q comet while
crcump0lar; but never, we believe, for that Of the
sun. Ii is plain, that by taking advantage of the
eaIth's rotation 10 carry them from one extremity
to the other Of chord of about five Ihoueand miles,
they obtain the parallax Of Mars as efiecualIy as
by the removal of the telescope to equally dis
iant point OF the earth For this class Of observa.
lions, LothiDg can be more Opportune than the elec-
Tic clock, aided by the spring governor, late in.
vention Of the director. Of which we have yet to
speak. BY means of this they can reckon on two
or three thousand measurements for night and
mornings work Of two hours each. Such set of
examinations, thus multiplied, will afford them
as accurate a determination Of the suns parallax
as can be obtained by transit OF Venus, and may
be repeated as often as desired.
Eleven comets have bean discovered by the As.
sistant Observer, George p. Bond before receiving
any intelligence Of their having been seen else
where. Nine Of these were chiefly teesco2ic-a
greater number it is believed, than mas ever been
discovered BY any unassised individual, except the
celebrated Messier. With some of these, as with
the satellite Of Saturn, the European observations
were nearly simultaneous; indeed, the comet Of
June 3, lSi5, and that of April H. 1919, were both
discovered here and in Europe on the same day
and at the same hour Of local time, the priority
being only equivalent TO the difference of longitude
The first of these. which has been claimed by
Profe sor Col's; OF Parma, and distinguished by his
name. Is another instance of European injustice.
Both observers saw it on the morning of June
third civil reckoning Cola obtained no o5ser-
walton OF its place, merely stating it was in Per.
seus, and no European observations were made
earlier than on the seventh; but the Bonds had
good places on the second, fourth, and sixt. sstro
nomica time, and IL was subsequently proved that
Southern gentleman of this country saw il on the
last day OF the previous month And yet this comet
il called Colla's comet throughout Europe, and the
proe ssor has claimed, and is supposed obtained
the medal OF the king of Denmark, although be-
yond question this was an American discovery.
Stncter justice. however, is done in reference to
the discovery OF the comet OF the 9th of August of
lasi year The priority Of George p. Bond is ac-
knowledged in Europe, and this comet is disln-
guished by bis name.
Besides the elements of the comets discovered by
himself, this young man has calculated those of
twenty other comets, as well as the orbit of Nep-
tune and that of the new satellite of Saturn. Those
only who have performed this operation can be
sensible either of its labor intrcacy, and to those
who are entirely familiar with the methods, the
great liability to errors which are fatal to the re.
suits, renders il at least very perpiexing problem.
We come now to the discove ~ of the new ring
OF Saturn, one Of the greatest discoveries OF the
prest nj age, and the hg proof Of the excellence
OF the great refractor During the last autumn,
Saturn beng favoraby situated, the observers
wefcperple xed with an appearance connected with
this planet which was entirely new; This was
dark lice bordering the inner edge of the ring pro-
| jected with the shadow Of The ring upon the body
Of the planet. At first they supposed this pheno-
| menon had some connection with the shadow; but
| IL could be traced on some occasions throughout
the entire circumference of the ring, and on the
inner anser Of the old ring presented an edgtng of
aint light SuspcctHg its true character, the
question re manned unsettled till the beautiful night
Of November 10Th. II was quite calm, the sky
Icing just hszed over with thin cirrus Saturn was
on the meridian, and was probably never before 80
well seen. All doubt OF the existence of rag
interior 10 any hitherto known was at removed.
The younger Bond has prepared faithful draw
ing OF its appearance on that occasion, IL being
exceedingly rare that en- opportunity so favor
able occurs IL has been intima'ed that the Cam
bridge observers have been anticipated in this dis
cnvery by several astronomers; but IL lie not so.
The mistake originates in confoundipg plurality
Of divisions Of The old ring (Which is all they pro.
fees 10 have seen) with the new rirg. Encke's
article IN the dstronomtsche Naehrtchtsa, No. 3SS,
has been cited as anticipating the Cambridge dis
coyery; but II contains not q word about new
ring insde of the old one. Ii simply iu,mates,
a hat has been several times done, that here are
glimIses ofdiyitions in the old RIGGS He puts the
inner diameter OF the old ring at 20 76 at Saurns
mean distance, agreeing precisely with the Cam
bridge measurement, and also with that OF Pro-
fetter struve: Now, The diameter OF the inside Of
the new ring IL only % g. To suppose an error OF
this magnitude is absurd. The breadth OF the new
ring is some hat less than that of the outer of the
two old rings. Its light is very much fainter, an
interesting PECULIARLY; end hence it is that in
crossing he bright planet il is distinctly visible
an exceedingly narrow dark line.
IL may be asked why these discoveries were not
before made. To satisfy this inquiry, 1t is suiii-
cent 10 cay, that at no time since the mounting of
the great Equatorial, he'd the earth been 90 favor
ably situated, IN reference to the plane OF Saturns
ribg, ss when these discoveries were made.
We have spoken of the application OF the "spriug
governor" en- invention of the director, and Tor
which he has received the gold medal Of the Mas
tscbusetis Mechanic Association. Ii was m ide in
the observatory, under the eye Of the director, and
OWES much of irs mechanical excellence to the
skill Of his son, Richard Bond The importance of
this instrument, in faithfully recording ooserva-
tons communicated by electro magnetism. cannot
be tpokep Of in exaggerated terms
Magnetic wires, conneces with the telegraph
lpes, ard corresponding with the principal cities
of the United States. had been brought into the
transit builsing ct the request Of the Superin-
'eBdent OF the coast survey but the confusion
in the sscord marks made II nearly hopeless TO
expect anything from the method ot Observing
by electro. magnetism, beyond few experiments,
az the difficulty Of reading off the observations
was more than the labor OF obtaining them.