The Scientific Library; Or, Repository of Useful and Polite Literature: Comprising Astronomy, Geography, Mythology, Ancient History, Modern History, and Chronology ...S. Wood & Sons, 1818 |
From inside the book
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Page 14
... greatest distance is supposed to be éleven thousand two hundred millions of miles from the sun ; whereas its least distance from that luminary is but four hundred and ninety thou- sand miles . The tails or streams of fiery matter ...
... greatest distance is supposed to be éleven thousand two hundred millions of miles from the sun ; whereas its least distance from that luminary is but four hundred and ninety thou- sand miles . The tails or streams of fiery matter ...
Page 33
... of January , and each of the months , excepting Februa ry , was made to consist of thirty or thirty- one days , in order to preserve the greatest VOL . I. possible regularity among the months , and to render them ASTRONOMY , 33.
... of January , and each of the months , excepting Februa ry , was made to consist of thirty or thirty- one days , in order to preserve the greatest VOL . I. possible regularity among the months , and to render them ASTRONOMY , 33.
Page 48
... greatest possible . The latitude of any place may be ascertain- ed by the help of a quadrant , and the simple rules of addition and subtraction . provided we have a meridian line , or some other certain means to know when it is 12 o ...
... greatest possible . The latitude of any place may be ascertain- ed by the help of a quadrant , and the simple rules of addition and subtraction . provided we have a meridian line , or some other certain means to know when it is 12 o ...
Page 52
... or the western hem- isphere ; and so of any other given place . It is also particularly worthy of remark , that the greatest possible longitude of a place is 180 degrees ; and that the longitude of any place 52 ASTRONOMY .
... or the western hem- isphere ; and so of any other given place . It is also particularly worthy of remark , that the greatest possible longitude of a place is 180 degrees ; and that the longitude of any place 52 ASTRONOMY .
Page 57
... greatest remunera tion , however , which can now be obtained for the true discovery of the longitude , is ten thousand pounds , and , according to an act passed in the year 1774 , all time - pieces which may , in future , be offered for ...
... greatest remunera tion , however , which can now be obtained for the true discovery of the longitude , is ten thousand pounds , and , according to an act passed in the year 1774 , all time - pieces which may , in future , be offered for ...
Common terms and phrases
aberration of light altitude annual revolution apparent motion appear Aries ascer ascertain astronomers called cause celestial centre circle comets computed consequently course darkness days and nights degree 15 degree 30 diameter discovered distance diurnal motion diurnal rotation divide Dominical letter earth earth's shadow east eastern side epact equa equal equator equinoctial equinox exactly extends from degree fixed stars full moon golden number gree half happen heavenly bodies heavens horizon isphere Julius Cæsar latitude less Libra light longitude luminary lunar lunar eclipses magni millions of miles minutes month moon's orbit nodes noon north or south north pole northern occasioned opposite parallel passes between degree phere planets Principal star quadrant Rectify the globe refraction satellites seasons second magnitude shadow falls situated solar eclipse south pole southern hemis southern hemisphere southern side sun and moon sun-dial sun's place supposed tides time-piece tion tude turn twelve western young readers
Popular passages
Page 13 - Amid the radiant orbs, That more than deck, that animate the sky, The life-infusing suns of other worlds ; Lo ! from the dread immensity of space Returning, with accelerated course, The rushing comet to the Sun descends ; And as he sinks below the shading earth, With awful train projected o'er the Heavens, The guilty nations tremble.
Page 100 - For I perceived that, if Light was propagated in Time, the apparent Place of a fixed Object would not be the same when ' the Eye is at Rest, as when it is moving in any other Direction, than that of the Line passing through the Eye and the Object ; and that, when the Eye is moving in different Directions, the apparent Place of the Object would be different.
Page 99 - March, 1726, the star was found to be 20" more southwardly than at the time of the first observation. It now, indeed, seemed to have arrived at its utmost limit southward, because, in several trials made about this time, no sensible difference was observed in its situation. By the middle of April it appeared to be returning back again towards the north ; and about the beginning of June it passed at the same distance from the zenith as it had done in December when it was first observed. From the quick...
Page 100 - For I perceived that, if light was propagated in time, the apparent place of a fixed object would not be the same when the eye is at rest, as when it is moving in any other direction than that of the line passing through the eye and...
Page 79 - Eclipses of the sun are more frequent than those of the moon, because his ecliptic limits are greater ; and yet we have more visible eclipses of the moon than of the sun, which is owing to their being seen from all parts of the earth where the moon is above the horizon when the eclipse happens ; whilst those of the sun can only be observed on that small portion of the hemisphere, on which the moon's shadow falls. The greatest number of eclipses, of both luminaries, which can happen in a year, is...
Page 99 - I then endeavoured to find out the cause of them. I was already convinced that the apparent motion of the stars was not owing to a nutation of the earth's axis. The next thing that offered itself was an alteration in the direction of the plumb-line, with which the instrument was constantly rectified; but this upon trial proved insufficient. Then I considered what refraction might do; but here also nothing satisfactory occurred.
Page 26 - ... if the earth's axis were perpendicular to the plane of its orbit, and the excessive variation which would result if the axis were nearly parallel to that plane.