Nature first issue

Nov. 4, 1869

ASTRONOMY

The Astonomical Congress at Vienna

THE German Astronomical Society, although it dates from only one or two years back, is already in earnest work, and this year a Congress, extending over several days, was held at Vienna, at which not only were the president and council elected for next year, but many papers of astronomical importance were read. Count Marshall has been good enough to send us the following account of the meeting The society numbers actually 209 members, most of them superintendents of German and Extra-German Observatories; about 50 met at Vienna, among whom MM. Struve, of Pulkowa (President), Moller (Sweden), Forster (Berlin), Scheibner (Leipzig), Hersch (Neufchatel), Lieut.-Gen. Bager (Berlin), Prof. Schaub (Trieste), Prof. Julius Schmidt (Athens), Mr. Schonfeld (Mannheim), were perhaps the most eminent. On Sept. 13, the first day of meeting, M. Struve opened the session with an exposition of the purpose of the Society and the recent progress of astronomy, especially of the knowledge of the physical nature of celestial bodies. Since the last meeting at Bonn, the number of members, the pecuniary resources, and the library have notably increased, and the following publications have been issued: Two years of the Quarterly Periodical, Dr. Auwers's paper on Variable Proper Movements, Dr. Lesser's Tables of Pomona, and Dr. von Asten's new Tables of Reduction for the ''Histoire celeste Francaise. " The study of the Asteroids, new Tables of Jupiter and of Comets, especially of the periodical ones, are in active preparation. Prof. Auwers distributed copies of tables for the reduction of positions of fixes stars from 1750 up to 1840, prepared at the Observatory of Pulkowa; and gave an account of his own new reducton of Bradley's observations, undertaken by order of the same Observatory, and of his tour to England for this purpose, during which he found, at Oxford, a number of old and very complete observations of fixed stars. The President referred to his connection with the German North Polar expedition. Prof. Julius Schmidt exhibited and explained a map of the Moon 6 feet in diameter, made at the Observatory of Athens. Prof. Zollner (of Leipzig) detailed his recent observations of the Sun on the Janssen-Lockyer method.

September 15.-Prof. Bruhns (Leipzig) commemorated the hundredth birthday of A. von Humboldt, and distributed the prospectus of a biography of this illustrious man of science, which he intellds to publish. Forty new members were admitted. Prof. Zoallner continued his lecture on his observations of the solar protuberances, and on a method of ascertaining the movements of celestial bodies by means of spectral analysis. His views were discussed by MM. Oppolzer, Scheibner, and Struve. A number of proof-prints of Prof. Heis' (Muanster) stellar maps were committed to MM. Julius Schmidt and Prof. Galle, to report upon. M. de Littrow, superintendent of the Vienna University Observatory, communicated and explained the plan of the new Observatory to be built there, and commented upon the recent endeavours of some calculators of the solar parallax to derive useful results from Father Hell's observations, dating from 1769, proving these attempts to be altogether useless, by exhibiting the original diaries of this observer, and distributing facsimiles of the most important passages of them. A communication, concerning the establishment of a Humboldt Foundation at Vienna, was read.

September 16.-The president and council were elected; M. Struve, President; Prof. Bruhns, Vice-President; MM. Auwers and Winnecke, secretaries; Prof. Zollner, Librarian; M. Auerbach, Treasurer; MM Argelander and de Littrow, members of the Council. A new member was admitted. Mr. Julius Schmidt read his report on Prof. Heis's stellar maps. Prof. Forster read a paper concerning the solar eclipse of August 18, 186B, with Dr. Tieb~~s remarks on the photograms of it, taken at Aden, and proposed that the President and Council should ensure their assistance on the occasion of the next transit of Venus to any astronomers who should apply for it. The motion has been adopted. Dr. Kaiser gave an account of his observations concerning the ellipsoidal form of the Moon, and the solar protuberances, which elicited a reply from Prof. Zollner, M. de Littrow communicated the first report of the permanent Adriatic Commission, and the programme of the prizes for the discovery of comets, lately proposed by the Imperial Acadamy of Vienna. Prof. Schnofeld exhibited a letter from Fabricius to Tycho Brahe (1596), in which the first notice of Mira Ceti is given, and entered into historical details concerning this variable star. The session of 1869 was closed by thanks voted to the Imperial Academy for having placed suitable localities at the disposal of the Society.