A SYSTEM OF ASTRONOMY, ON THE PRINCIPLES OF COPERNICUS : CONTAINING, BESIDES THE USUAL ASTRONOMICAL CALCULATIONS, A CATALOGUE OF ECLIPSES VISIBLE IN THE UNITED STATES DURING THE PRESENT CENTURY, AND THE TABLES NECESSARY FOR CALCULATING ECLIPSES AND OTHER COMPUTATIONS ON THE MOTION OF THE CELESTIAL BODIES; ACCOMPANIED WITH PLATES, EXPLAINING THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SCIENCE, AND ILLUSTRATING THE Deus unus potest esse Architectus et Rector tanti operis.---Cicero. Concord: PUBLISHED BY JACOB B. MOORE, District Clerk's Office. BE E IT REMEMBERED, that on the 15th day of May, A. D. 1827, and in the SL S.S fifty-second year of the Independence of the United States of America, JOHN in VOSE, of said district, hath deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof he claims as author, in the words following, to wit: "A system of Astronomy, on the principles of Copernicus: containing, besides the usual astronomical calculations, a catalogue of eclipses visible in the United States during the present century, and the tables necessary for calculating eclipses and other computations on the motion of the celestial bodies; accompanied with plates, explaining the principles of the science, and illustrating the aspects of the heavens. By John Vose, A. M. Principal of the Pembroke Academy, NewHampshire. Deus unus potest esse Architectus et Rector tanti operis.-Cicero. Wae maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades.-Job." In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled "An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned ;" and also to an act, entitled an act supplementary to an act entitled an act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times thereinentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints," A true copy of Record ;- CHARLES W CUTTER, CHARLES W. CUTTER, Clerk, THE following treatise was undertaken at the suggestion of some friends, and in a persuasion, that a classic of the kind was necessary in our institutions of learning. The larger works on astronomy seemed too unwieldly for common use.— Much of Mr. Ferguson's original work had become obsolete ; and it may now be considered as defective, for want of the great improvements of Herschel and his cotemporaries.Though Dr.Brewster may have supplied the deficiency, he has retained much of the obsolete part, and his work is too expensive for admission into most of our seminaries. The latter objection applies with equal force to Enfield, and some others. Most of the smaller works on astronomy had not been published, or were not known to the author of this, when it was commenced. Though the public are now favored with several compends on astronomy, none of them seem calculated for that class of students, for which this was intended. A system is evidently wanted, which may occupy the middle ground between the larger and smaller works. Such a system it is hoped will here be presented. Though the work was intended to be compressed, nothing considered essential was omitted. The elements for the calculation and projection of eclipses and the requisite tables, seemed indispensible to the student, who would enjoy any degree of satisfaction or arrive at what may be termed knowledge in this sublime study. The author has endeavoured to avail himself of the most modern improvements in astronomy, to glean in every field that lay open on his way. M 2643 |