THE PLANET JUPITEK.

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America on July 9tli; and that it had been noticed as early asJane 26th at Lord Lindsay’s observatory at Dun Echt. Wehave much pleasure in showing our readers two drawings ofits appearance at that time, which were originally publishedin the Observatory of January and April 1879. The first isby Professor Pritchett, of Morrison Observatory, Glasgow,Missouri , dated July 9th, 1878 ; the second, in which the spotin question is marked a, is by Mr. L. Trouvelot, of Cambridge ,Mass., U.S. , dated Sept. 25th, 1878.

Mr. Trouvelot mentions that its “intense rose colour

Pig. LXIX.—Jupiter, showing the Great Red Spot (a) on September 25th, 1878, as seen atCambridge Observatory, TJ.S.

appeared in strong contrast with the white luminous back-ground upon which it was projected.” Some other observers,who went so far in the exuberance of their feelings as to com-pare it to a blood-red flame, must, we think, have been moreor less carried away by the unexpected excitement of watchingso remarkable an apparition. Whenever we have gazed at itwith a refracting telescope, it has appeared to be of a dullbrick-red colour. In a reflecting telescope it is, however, likelythat its tint may be more brilliant. One well-known observerof great artistic taste and skill (Mr. Brett) has suggested thatthe best possible idea of the appearance which it presented