Georgium Sidus will be in opposition at a quarter part 8 in the morning of the 2d. Mercury will be stationary on the 5th, and Venus will be in conjunction with a, in Leo, on the 6th, when the planet will be 57' north of the star. Mercury will also attain his greatest elongation on the 16th. On the following day, Jupiter and Mars will be in conjunction, the former planet being 45' south of the latter. The Moon will likewise be in conjunction with a, in Scorpio, at 50 m. after 5 in the afternoon of the 18th, and with Georgium Sidus at 37 m. past 9 in the morning of the 21st. The eclipses of the Sun and Moon, which happen on the 8th and 23d, have already been described. Eclipses were, in antient times, always regarded as calamitous omens; and this superstition is frequently alluded to by the poets: it forms the foundation of one of the finest similes in Paradise Lost :— As when the Sun, new risen, Looks through the horizontal misty air, In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds For the amusement of our poetical readers, we shall insert in this place Mr. WORDSWORTH's beautiful poem on the annular Eclipse of the Sun which took place in September 1820: High on her speculative tow'r Stood Science, waiting for the hour Afloat beneath Italian skies, No vapour stretched its wings; no cloud Cast far or near a murky shroud; The sky an azure field displayed; 'Twas sun-light sheathed and gently charmed, And as in slumber laid: Or something night and day between, It tinged the Julian steeps-it lay But Fancy, with the speed of fire, Awe-stricken, she beholds th' array That guards the Temple night and day; Angels she sees that might from heav'n have flown ; And virgin saints-who not in vain Have striv'n by purity to gain The beatific crown; Far-stretching files concentric rings, Thus after man had fall'n (if aught See! while I speak, the lab'ring Sun Oh, ye who guard and grace my home, REFLECTIONS ON THE STARRY HEAVENS. The Starry Heavens indisputably present one of the most stupendous and magnificent displays of Creative Power; and have, in all ages, equally arrested the attention of the thoughtless, and fixed the admiration of the philosopher. Could it be otherwise, when infinite power, infinite wisdom, and infinite goodness, are displayed in characters so conspicuous, so attractive, and so brilliant? Here the admirer of splendour may gaze, unrestrained and unsatiated! Here the contemplative mind may range unfettered by system, and unconfined by space! Here the lover of order is more than gratified-is delighted-by the harmony the heavens present! While the devout mind rises above the wonders that are seen, and, in reference to the Great First Cause, exclaims with the enraptured Milton, Yet these declare Thy goodness beyond thought, and pow'r divine! In contemplating those gems of the azure canopy, we shall merely present such observations as, we trust, are calculated to interest and instruct our youthful readers. While we thus attempt to lead them from the frivolities of the passing hour to contemplate the scene where the celestial orbs for ever shine in unborrowed lustre, may the mind, expanded by the subject, imbibe more exalted ideas of Infinite Wisdom and Goodness, and then it will sink into itself with corrected views of its own importance. Nothing is more common than for the uninstructed to regard this nocturnal display of matchless power and unparalleled skill as merely designed to light their wandering feet across this speck of earth; but let such reflect, that they are thus cherishing their own vanity, by entertaining debasing views of the Ineffable Creator! To these the poet presents an instructive but a humbling lesson: And canst thou think, poor worm"! these orbs of light, Were made for thee alone-to twinkle in thy sight? If not then sure they were not made for thee. BAKER. When, on a bright evening, we survey the heavens, and see these sparkling luminaries above and around us, they at first appear to be merely fixed points; but when the observation is continued for a short period, they are successively seen in various places. As their relative distances remain the same, and they all advance towards the west, we soon perceive that their motions are of the same kind as those of the Sun and the Moon. They are seen to rise successively one after another, in a determinate order; to pass over the sky; and then set, each in its order and in its peculiar position. Some of the stars, however, never reach the horizon, but continually describe circles round the pole. This phenomenon depends upon the position of the observer; for when he is at the equator, they all appear to rise and set; and, were he situated at either of the poles of the earth, he would see them all describing circles completely round him, parallel to the horizon, and consequently never descending below it. At every position between these points, some of the stars constantly rise and set, others as uniformly complete their revolutions with quitting the visible hemisphere. When we are supposed to be at the equator, the poles of the heavens are situated in the horizon; but as we advance into either hemisphere, the pole which we approach becomes more and more elevated, and its altitude is always equal to the latitude of the place of observation. To an inhabitant of London, for instance, the elevation of this point, which is the North Pole, is 51° 31'; and numbers of stars are consequently to be seen which never reach the horizon. |