About one hundred little planets called Asteroids, have been discovered, whose orbits are between Mars and Jupiter. Every year new discoveries are made among them, and soon the number will doubtless be many more. Some of them are so exceedingly small, that it might seem inappropriate to call them planets or worlds. But any solid body having an orbit, if it be no larger than a cannon-ball, is entitled to rank as a world. A vast number of these may exist between Mars and Jupiter, which will never be discovered because of their littleness. Indeed, this may be said of all the inter-orbital spaces in the solar system. Asteroidal bodies appear to be revolving around the Sun, in orbits not far from that of the Earth. Others, also, revolve around the Earth like the Moon, attending our planet as invisible satellites. The Aerolitis, or falling masses of stones, are really Asteroids, whose orbits cross the Earth's track, or else wind spirally inward, as a consequence of the Earth's superior attraction. When one of these bodies and the Earth approach each other, at the intersection of their orbits, the former must strike upon the Earth, representing a miniature collision of worlds.

VERSED SINES OF THE ILLUMINATED DISCS OF VENUS AND MARS.

Venus will exhibit a gibbous phase, until December 13th, except about the 9th of May, when it is Full, or a perfect circle. At its greatest elongation, December 13th, it shows half its diameter, and after that it becomes a crescent. Mars is always gibbous, except when Full, being least at the quadratures..

The disc of Venus will be nearly circular, and not of much interest, until October. It becomes a crescent after the 13th of December.

EVENING STARS.

Venus, from May 9th to the end of the year.
Mars, all the year.

Jupiter, until April 17th, and after Aug. 12th.
Saturn, from March 7th to Dec. 11th.

MORNING STARS.

Venus, until May 9th.

Jupiter, from April 17th to Aug. 12th.

Saturn, until March 7th.

Mercury, March 21st, July 19th, and Nov. 7th.

NOTE.-The exterior planets are regarded as Evening Stars from their western quadrature to conjunction with the Sun, and as Morning Stars from conjunction to western quadrature, rising in the latter case between midnight and sunrise. The interior planets are Evening Stars from superior conjunction to their inferior conjunction, and then Morning Stars to superior conjunction. Venus does not reach the inferior conjunction this year, but it runs rapidly to it after its greatest elongation east, Dec. 18th, being about this time very beautiful.

EPHEMERIS OF THE PRINCIPAL PLANETS,

showing their Declination at transit, and time of transit, over the Meridian of Washington, and their rising and setting at night for the latitude of Washington. The rising of Uranus may be found very nearly by subtracting 7h. 19m. from its meridian passage, and its setting by adding 7h. 19m.

EPHEMERIS OF THE PRINCIPAL PLANETS,

showing their Declination at transit, and time of transit, over the Meridian of Washington, and their rising and setting at night for the latitude of Washington. The rising of Uranus may be found very nearly by subtracting 7h. 19m. from its meridian passage, and its setting by adding 7h. 19m.

D. of Mt'b.

THE SUN'S DECLINATION FOR WASHINGTON APPARENT NOON.

April. May. June. July. August. Sept'ber. October. Nor'ber. Decembr.
North. North. North. North.
North. North.

South.

South.

South.

323 914 36 41 21 54 15 3 46 26 14 55 42 22 39 4 940 15 14 28 22 11 28 43252 15 33 0 22 19 40 456 0.1551 16 22 27 17 519 5 16 9 16 22 34 27 542 5 16 27 0 22 41 11 6 5 1 16 44 27 22 47 27 62752 17 137 22 5317 65038 17 18 30 22 58 40 7 13 19 17:35 423 335 7:35 53 1751 21 23 83 75821 18 718 23 12 3 820 42 18 22 57 23 15 36 84257 1838 15 23 18 40 2 27 6 9 5 318 53 15 23 21 17 2 353 927 2 19 753 23 23 25 140 37 948 52 19 22 12 23 25 6 117 19 10 10 34 1936 923 26 18 05359 10 32 7 19 49 45 23 27-2 0 30 38 105331 20 259 23 N. 7 15 11 14 44 20 15 51

722 3
659 9

636 10

613 5

5 49 55

5 26 39

7 22 18 18 15 726

5 320

8 22 10 9 14 48 24 9 21 135 14 29 7 10 21 52 34 14 935 11 21 43 813 49 49 12 21 33 17 13 29 50 13 21 23 013 937 14 21 12 19 12 49 12 15 20 114 12 28 34 16 20 49 44 12 744 17 2037 51 11 46 43 18 20 25 34 11 25 31 19 19 1254 11 4 8 20 19 59 52 10 42 35 21 19 46 27 10 20 52 22 19 32 40 959 0 23 19 18 31 936 58 24 18 4 2914 49 25 18 49 11 852 30 26 1834 0 830 4 27 18 18 298 731 28 17 238 744 50

4 39 56

4 16 29
35258
3 29 25

445 7 15 14 11 22 749 23 528 175437 8 635
5 8 9 15 32 4 22 15 36 23 1 2 17 39 13 7 44 39
531 7 15 49 41 22 22 59 22 56 13 172332 7 22 37
55358 16 7 4 22 29 59 2251 017 734 7 027
6 16 43 16 24 10 22 36 35 22 45 22 16 51 19 638 10
6 39 22 16 41 0 22 42 47 22 39 21 16 34 48 615 47
7 155 16 57 34 22 48 36 22 32 571618 0 55317
724 20 17 1351 22 54 1 22 26 9 16 057 53041
7 46 38 17 29 50 22 59 1 22 1858 15 43 39 5 8 0
8 848 17 45 32 23 3 38 22 11 23 15 26 5 445 14
830 50 18 057 23 750 22 326 15 817 422 23
3 5 49 852 43 18 16 3 23 11 38 21 55 6 14 50 14
24211 914 28 18 3051 23 15 1 21 46 24
21832 936 3 18 45 20 23 17 59 21 37 19
15451 957 29 18 59 30 23 20 33 21 27 52 13 54 41
131 9 10 18 45 19 13 21 23 22 42 21 18 3 13 35 43
1 7 26 10 39 51 19 26 53/23 24 26 21 752 13 16 32
043 44 11 046 1940 423 25 46 20 57 20† 1259 9
020 211 21 30 19 52 56 23 26 41 20 46 27 12 3784
N. 3 40 11 42 8 20 5 27 23 27 11
S. 27 21 12 224 20 17 37:23 27 16

1 48 13 21 47 21 249 23 23 28 19 33 56 1036 0
225 18 13 41 6 21 13 13 23 21 29 19 20 41 10 15 7
248 46 14 011 21 23 15 2319 6 19 7 7 954 4
3 12 10 14 19 2 21 3255 23 16 18 18 53 14 93252
3 35 31 14 37 39 21 42 12 23 13 6 18 39 2 911 31
358 47 14 56 2 2151 7 23 929 18 2432 850 1
4 22 0
21 59 40
18 943 828 22|

20 28 21 23 26 |

17

20 40 28 23 25 14

1 257 1217 23 20 52 13|23 23 36

126 21 123754 21 333 23 21 31
149 45 1258 14 21 14 30 23 18 57
213 813 18 21 21 25 823 15 55
236 30 13 38 16 21 35 12 23 12 24
259 50 13 57 58 21 41 56 23 826
14 17 26
23, 4 1

ECLIPSES OF JUPITER'S MOONS FOR 1869.-VISIBLE AT WASHINGTON.

3 15 14.4 Mo. Im. 9 44 0.2 Ev. Im. 11 41 14.0 Ev. Im. 4 17 33.4 Mo. Em. 1 40 3.7 Mo. Em. 5 30 11.9 Mo. Em. 8 15 19.8 Ev. Em. 3 41 48.4Mo. Em. 811 0.8 Ev. Em. 10 10 33.6 Ev. Em. 10 46 37.2 Ev. Em. 0555.6 Mo. Em. 6 34 51.0 Ev. Em. 12 15.1 Mo. Em. 2 125.7 Mo. Em. 8 30 22.9 Ev. Em. 7 49 27.8 Ev. Im. 9 36 40.0 Ev. Em.

10 26 2.1 Ev. Em.

11 51 31.1 Ev. Im. 138 41.1 Mo. Em. 021 47.4Mo. Em. 7 51 28.0 Ev. Em. 6 50 41.9 Ev. Em. 10 27 13.6 Ev. Em.

8 46 32.8 Ev. Em.

NOTE.-The above table includes only those eclipses which occur when the Sun is more than 8° below, and Jupiter more than 8° above the horizon of Washington, all other eclipses occur

4 35 10.1 Mo. Im. 11 336.0 Ev. Im. 2 40 53.6 Mo. Im.

Nov. 1 II

11 26 40.8 Ev. Im.

3I

4I

4 56 13.0 Mo. Em.
0 57 29.8 Mo. Im.

9 II

5 455.8 Mo. Im.
9 24 42.6 Ev.
2 51 28.5 Mo. Im.
9 20 2.4 Ev. Im.
11 34 30.8 Ev. Im.

66

12 I

Em.

12 III

1 24 44.8 Mo. Em.

66

9 10 34.8 Ev. Im.

64

4 45 33.3 Mo. Im.