Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 095.djvu/50

38 The roundness of the objects being a material circumstance, I melted a small quantity of the powder of brimstone, and dipping the point of a needle into it, I found that globules, perfectly spherical and extremely small, might be taken up. I had one of them that did not exceed the 640th part of an inch in diameter.

When four of the following sizes, ,00962 ,009125 ,00475 ,002375 were placed on the post in the garden and viewed from the work-room station with 522,7 I saw No. 1,2, and 3, round, but No. 4 was invisible.

These globules reflect but little light, so that they are not easily to be distinguished from the surrounding illumination of the atmosphere; but when I placed some dark blue paper a few inches behind them, I then could also perceive No. 4 as a round body. The angle it subtends is 0",207.

Having carried the minuteness of the globules as far as appeared to be proper, I considered that a valuable advantage would be gained by increasing the distance of the objects. The experiments might here be made upon a larger scale, and the body of air through which it would be necessary to view the globules would bring the action of the telescope more upon a par with an application of it to celestial objects.

On a tree, at 9620,4 inches from the object mirror of the telescope, I fixed the sealing-wax globules of the 2d experiment. The distance was measured by a chain compared with deal rods, and by calculation the altitude of the objects has been properly taken into the account.

With 502,6 No. 1 is a very large object; so that were I to