A Compendium of Astronomy: Intended to Simplify and Illustrate the Principles of the Science, and Give a Concise View of the Motions and Aspects of the Great Heavenly Luminaries ; Adapted to the Use of Common Schools, as Well as Higher SeminariesCarter, Hendee & Company, 1834 - 184 pages |
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Page 23
... whole eastern conti- nent , Europe , Asia , and Africa ; some to cover the surface of the whole Earth ; and one was observed by Dr. Her- schel , in 1799 , computed to be more than fifty thousand miles in diameter . In most of them ...
... whole eastern conti- nent , Europe , Asia , and Africa ; some to cover the surface of the whole Earth ; and one was observed by Dr. Her- schel , in 1799 , computed to be more than fifty thousand miles in diameter . In most of them ...
Page 28
... whole illuminated side . But when she is nearest to us , her dark side is towards the Earth . This planet is distant from the Earth , when nearest , about 27,000,000 miles ; when most remote , about 163,000,000 miles . " Were the whole ...
... whole illuminated side . But when she is nearest to us , her dark side is towards the Earth . This planet is distant from the Earth , when nearest , about 27,000,000 miles ; when most remote , about 163,000,000 miles . " Were the whole ...
Page 30
... first discovered that the morning and evening stars were the same ? Why has Venus this character , Q ? How must Venus ap- * According to Dr. Herschel , 8,648 miles . pear to the inhabitants of Mercury ? Were the whole 30 VENUS .
... first discovered that the morning and evening stars were the same ? Why has Venus this character , Q ? How must Venus ap- * According to Dr. Herschel , 8,648 miles . pear to the inhabitants of Mercury ? Were the whole 30 VENUS .
Page 31
... whole enlightened side of Venus turned towards us when she is nearest the earth , how would she appear ? Is Venus visible in the day time ? How do shadows appear in her light ? How are the light and heat of the Sun at Venus compared ...
... whole enlightened side of Venus turned towards us when she is nearest the earth , how would she appear ? Is Venus visible in the day time ? How do shadows appear in her light ? How are the light and heat of the Sun at Venus compared ...
Page 36
... whole of the Earth's surface under 434 years . Thus the life of an antediluvian would be necessary for such a survey . Were a being of sufficient longevity and suitably con- stituted to undertake an examination of the Earth's sur- face ...
... whole of the Earth's surface under 434 years . Thus the life of an antediluvian would be necessary for such a survey . Were a being of sufficient longevity and suitably con- stituted to undertake an examination of the Earth's sur- face ...
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A Compendium of Astronomy; Intended to Simplify and Illustrate the ... John Vose No preview available - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
ancient angle aphelion appear Aries ascending node Asteroids astronomers atmosphere attraction aurora borealis axis bissextile brazen meridian cause celestial centre comets commence computed conjunction constellations declination degree discovered disk diurnal rotation dominical letter east eclipses elevated epact equal equator equinox fixed stars full Moon harvest Moon heat heavenly body heavens hemisphere Herschel horizon hour inclination inferior conjunction inferior planets inhabitants Jupiter latitude libration light longitude longitude for 100 luminous lunar magnitude Mars Mean diameter Mean distance Mercury and Venus meridian meteors miles month move night obliquity observed opposite parallax passing performs a revolution perihelion phenomena Plate polar circles poles primary planets rays reckoned refraction represented Retrograde motion revolve right ascension rising round the Earth round the Sun satellites Saturn seen side slow of clock solar system spots Sun fast Sun slow Sun's place surface telescope tides tion visible zenith
Popular passages
Page 156 - our astronomical observer" at a salary of £100 per annum, his duty being "forthwith to apply himself with the most exact care and diligence to the rectifying the tables of the motions of the heavens and the places of the fixed stars, so as to find out the so much desired longitude of places for the perfecting the art of navigation.
Page 169 - I was called up," says Mr. Ellicou, " about 3 o'clock in the morning, to see the shooting stars, as they are called. The phenomenon was grand and awful. The whole heavens appeared as if illuminated with skyrockets, which disappeared only by the light of the sun, after daybreak. The meteors, which at any one instant of time, appeared as numerous as the stars, flew in all possible directions...
Page 158 - ... that, situated as we are in this western hemisphere, more than three thousand miles from any fixed or known meridian, it would be proper, in a national point of view to establish a first meridian for ourselves ; and that measures should be taken for the eventual establishment of such a meridian in the United States. In examining the maps and charts of the United States, and the particular states, or their sea coasts, which have been published in this country, the committee find, that the publishers...
Page 128 - AG F E D CB A G F ED C B A 1100 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24...
Page 124 - Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November, All the rest have thirty-one Excepting February alone : Which hath but twenty-eight, in fine, Till leap year gives it twenty-nine.
Page 147 - That the milky way is a most extensive stratum of stars of various sizes admits no longer of the least doubt; and that our sun is actually one of the heavenly bodies belonging to it is as evident.
Page 168 - Towards the morning of the 13th of November, 1799, we witnessed a most extraordinary scene of shooting meteors. Thousands of bodies and falling stars succeeded each other during four hours. Their direction was very regular from north to south. From the beginning of the phenomenon there was not a space in the firmament equal in extent to three diameters of the moon which was not filled every instant with bodies or falling stars. All the meteors left luminous traces or phosphorescent bands behind them,...
Page 53 - Huge massess of rock rise at once from the plains, and raise their peaked summits to an immense height in the air, while projecting crags spring from their rugged flanks and threatening the valleys below, seem to bid defiance to the laws of gravitation. Around the base of these frightful eminences are strewed numerous loose and unconnected fragments, which time seems to have detached from their parent mass ; and when we examine the rents and ravines which accompany the over.hanging cliffs, we expect...
Page 81 - The atmosphere is known to abound with electric matter, and the appearance of the electric matter in vacuo is exactly like the appearance of the aurora borealis, which, from its great altitude, may be considered to be in as perfect a vacuum as we can make. The electric matter in vacuo suffers the rays of light to pass through, without being affected by them. The tail of a comet does not expand itself sideways, nor does the electric matter. Hence, he supposes the tails of comets, the aurora borealis,...
Page 72 - ... the heavens that presents us with such a variety of extraordinary phenomena as the planet Saturn : a magnificent globe, encompassed by a stupendous double ring : attended by seven satellites : ornamented with equatorial belts : compressed at the poles : turning...