A Compendium of Astronomy: Containing the Elements of the Sciences, Familiarly Explained and Illustrated, with the Latest Discoveries. Adapted to the Use of Schools and Academies, and of the General ReaderCollins, brother & Company, 1842 |
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Compendium of Astronomy: Containing the Elements of the Science, Familiarly ... Denison Olmsted No preview available - 2015 |
Compendium of Astronomy: Containing the Elements of the Science, Familiarly ... Denison Olmsted No preview available - 2017 |
Common terms and phrases
altitude angle angular appear astronomers atmosphere axis azimuth bright stars called celestial circle clock comet constellation degree direction disk distance diurnal motions double stars earth earth's orbit eccentricity eclipse equal equator equinox Explain figure fixed stars force full moon globe gravity greater greatest elongation heavenly bodies heavens Hence Herschel horizon hour inferior conjunction inferior planets Jupiter latitude learner light longitude lunar lunar eclipse magnitude measured Mercury and Venus meridian miles moon moon's mountains move nearer nearly nebulous node oblique observations opposite orbit parallax parallel passing perihelion period phenomena planetary pole Ptolemy refraction represent respect revolve right ascension ring satellites Saturn seen shadow side sidereal sidereal day situated solar eclipse solar system space spectator sphere spots sun and moon sun's superior planets supposed surface tail tance telescope tide-wave tides tion transit Uranus velocity vernal equinox visible west to east zenith
Popular passages
Page 94 - Newton's Three Laws of Motion," and are as follows: (1) All bodies continue in a state of rest, or of uniform motion in a straight line, unless acted upon by some external force that compels a change.
Page 200 - ... satellites. But we shall do wrong to judge of the fitness or unfitness of their condition, from what we see around us, when, perhaps, the very combinations which convey to our minds only images of horror, may be in reality theatres of the most striking and glorious displays of beneficent contrivance.
Page 253 - It was then as bright as Sirius, and continued to increase till it surpassed Jupiter when brightest, and was visible at mid-day. It began to diminish in December of the same year, and in March 1574, had entirely disappeared.
Page 252 - This remarkable law of variation certainly appears strongly to suggest the revolution round it of some opaque body, which, when interposed between us and Algol, cuts off a large...
Page 101 - THIRD LAW. — The squares of the periodical times are as the cubes of the mean distances from the sun. The periodical time of a body is the time it takes to complete its orbit, in its revolution about the sun. Thus the earth's periodic time is one year, and that of the planet Jupiter about twelve years.
Page 266 - The machines that are first invented to perform any particular movement are always the most complex, and succeeding artists generally discover that, with fewer wheels, with fewer principles of motion, than had originally been employed, the same effects may be more easily produced.
Page 114 - Insulated mountains, which rise from plains nearly level, like a sugar loaf placed on a table, and which may be supposed to present an appearance somewhat similar to Mount Etna or the peak of Teneriffe. The shadows of these mountains, in certain phases of the moon, are as distinctly perceived as the shadow of an upright staff when placed opposite to the sun ; and their heights can be calculated from the length of their shadows. The heights and the length of the base of more than seventy of these...
Page 49 - Every year whose number is not divisible by 4 without remainder, consists of 365 days ; every year which is so divisible, but is not divisible by 100, of 366 ; every year divisible by 100, but not by 400, again of 365 ; and every year divisible by 400, again of 366.
Page 155 - The tides are an alternate rising and falling of the waters of the ocean, at regular intervals. They have a maximum and a minimum twice a day, twice a month, and twice a year. Of the daily tide, the maximum is called High tide, and the minimum Low tide. The maximum for the month is called Spring tide, and the minimum Neap tide. The rising of the tide is called Flood and its falling Ebb tide. Similar tides, whether high or low, occur on opposite sides of the earth at once.
Page 47 - The most ancient nations determined the number of days in the year by means of the stylus, a perpendicular rod which casts its shadow on a smooth plane bearing a meridian line. The time when the shadow was shortest, would indicate the day of the Summer solstice ; and the number of days which elapsed, until the shadow returned to the same length again, would show the number of days in the year. This was found to be three hundred and sixty-five whole days, and accordingly, this period was adopted for...