The New American Grammar of the Elements of Astronomy: On an Improved Plan: in Three Books. I. The Use of the Terrestrial Globe in the Solution of Geographical and Astronomical Problems. II. The Use of the Celestial Globe in the Solution of Problems, Relative to the Sun, Planets, and Fixed Stars. III. The Solar System, and the Firmament of Fixed Stars. The Whole Systematically Arranged and Scientifically Illustrated; with Several Cuts and Engravings; and Adapted to the Instruction of Youth in Schools and Academies

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Collins and Hannay, 1827 - 375 pages

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Page 27 - Absolute, true, and mathematical time, of itself, and from its own nature, flows equably without relation to anything external, and by another name is called duration: relative, apparent, and common time, is some sensible and external (whether accurate or unequable) measure of duration by the means of motion, which is commonly used instead of true time; such as an hour, a day, a month, a year.
Page 254 - ... us on to suppose that it is most probably also inhabited, like the rest of the planets, by beings whose organs are adapted to the peculiar circumstances of that vast globe.
Page 367 - ... in diameter. The star is perfectly in the centre, and the atmosphere is so diluted, faint, and equal throughout, that there can be no surmise of its consisting of stars ; nor can there be a doubt of the evident connection between the atmosphere and the star. Another star not much less in brightness, and in the same field with the above, was perfectly free from any such appearance.
Page 18 - The AMPLITUDE of any object in the heavens is an arc of the horizon, contained between the centre of the object when rising, or setting, and the east or west points of the horizon.
Page 254 - ... show that heat is produced by the sun's rays only when they act on a calorific medium: they are the cause of the production of heat, by uniting with the matter of fire which is contained in the substances that are heated...
Page 61 - Antipodes)o the inhabitants of any place. RULE. Place the two poles of the globe in the horizon, and bring the -given place to the eastern part of the horizon ; then, if the given place be in north latitude, observe how many degrees it is to the northward of the east point of the horizon ; the same number of degrees to the southward of the east point will show the...
Page 59 - Find the sun's declination and elevate the north or south pole, according as the declination is north or south so many degrees above the horizon, as are equal to the sun's declination ; bring the given place to the brass meridian, and set the index of the hour circle to 12. Turn the globe eastward till the given place comes to the horizon, and the index will shew the time of the sun's rising.
Page 62 - EleVate the north or south pole, according as the latitude is north or south, so many degrees aboVe the horizon as are equal to the latitude of the gtVen place.
Page 12 - The tropics are two small circles parallel to the equator at the distance of 23° 28' from it ; the northern, is called the tropic of cancer, and the southern, the tropic of Capricorn.

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