f a hemisphere of beautiful chased silver carved out in
curious round patterns with a more than human skill. If, however, one
wishes to see the minute details of the lunar surface, in which many of
our astronomers are now so deeply interested, he must use a higher
magnifying power. The general beautiful effect is then lessened, but
more details are seen. Still, it is hardly necessary to seek for a very
large telescope for any investigation of the lunar surface. I very much
doubt whether any one has ever seen anything on the moon which could
not be made out in a clear, steady atmosphere with a six-inch telescope
of the first class.

Next to the moon, Saturn is among the most beautiful of celestial
objects. Its aspect, however, varies with its position in its orbit.
Twice in the course of a revolution, which occupies nearly thirty
years, the rings are seen edgewise, and for a few days are invisible
even in a powerful telescope. For an entire year their form may be
difficult to make out with a small telescope. These unfavorable
conditions occur in 1907 and 1921. Between these dates, especially for
some years after 1910, the position of the planet in the sky will be
the most favorable, being in northern declination, near its perihelion,
and having its rings widely open. We all know that Saturn is plainly
visible to the naked eye, shining almost like a star of the first
magnitude, so that there is no difficulty in finding it if one knows
when and where to look. In 1906-1908 its oppositions occur in the month
of September. In subsequent years, it will occur a month later every
two and a half years. The ring can be seen with a common, good
spy-glass fastened to a post so as to be steady. A four or five-inch
telescope will show most of the satellites, the division in the ring,
and, when the ring is well opened, the curious dusky ring discovered by
Bond. This "crape ring," as it is commonly called, is one of the most
singular phenomena presented by that planet.

It might be interesting to the amateur astronomer with a keen eye and a
telescope of four inches aperture or upward to frequently scrutinize
Saturn, with a view of detecting any extraordinary eruptions upon his
surface, like that seen by Professor Hall in 1876. On December 7th of
that year a bright spot was seen upon Saturn's equator. It elongated
itself from day to day, and remained visible for several weeks. Such a
thing had never before been known upon this planet, a