Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 11.djvu/560

542 The new observatory possesses: 1. A Fraunhofer equatorial of three inches aperture, suitable for a comet-seeker; and, 2. A large equatorial by Amici, of eleven inches aperture, of excellent quality. Besides this, a small meridian-instrument is mounted in the meridian-room. This room will subsequently contain a meridian-circle of seven inches aperture, and a transit-instrument somewhat smaller. It is proposed to have for this observatory a staff composed of a director and five assistants.

Director, M. Palagi.—The observatory of the University of Bologna is one of the most ancient in Italy, and, like all the observatories of the past century, it is placed on the top of a high tower, which unfits it for precise observations. In the plan proposed for the reorganization of the Italian observatories, this institution is to devote its labor to observations of physical astronomy. It possesses a meridian-circle, by Ertel, of forty-two lines (3.5 French inches) aperture, mounted in 1851, but now little used, and also a Dollond equatorial of three inches aperture. Its collection of historical instruments is of high interest.

Director, M. Ragona.—Modena is an astronomical city, for in it or near it were born Amici, Secchi, Tacchini, Ferrari, and other Italian astronomers. The Ducal Observatory is, like that of Bologna, in a transition state. It was founded in 1819, by Bianchi, and was provided with the best instruments of that time, but it now will probably become the central meteorological station of the surrounding states. Its meridian-circle is of four inches aperture with three-feet circles, and was made by Fraunhofer and Reichenbach in 1819, but requires some changes to bring it up to modern requirements. Its Amici equatorial has two and one-third inches aperture only, and is thus too small for most astronomical purposes. Its collection of meteorological and magnetic apparatus is, on the contrary, very complete and noteworthy, and has been made, in most cases, upon plans furnished by M. Ragona.

Director, M. Santini; Astronomer, M. Lorenzoni.—This observatory dates from 1774, when this city was placed under the protectorate of Venice, and when this powerful republic attracted the most celebrated professors to its university. It is well situated for observations of precision, as the numerous catalogues of stars published by its celebrated director, now the oldest living astronomer, testify sufficiently. The principal instruments of the observatory are a meridian-circle and an equatorial, both by Starke—the first of 117 millimetres (4.61 inches) aperture and with one-metre (39.37 inches) circles; the second with twelve centimetres (4.74 inches) aperture and two metres (78.74 inches) focal length. There is also a spectroscope by Hoffmann. The two latter instruments are used by Lorenzoni for daily observations of the solar protuberances. The meridian-circle is employed in observations of the sun,