The United States have contributed their full share to the recent progress of astronomy. Powerful telescopes have been imported, made by the first European artists, and numerous others, of scarcely inferior workmanship and power, have been produced by artists of our own. The American astronomers have also been the first to bring the electric telegraph into use in astronomical observations; electric clocks have been so constructed as to beat simultaneously at places distant many hundred miles from each other, and thus to furnish means of determining the difference of longitude between places with an astonishing degree of accuracy; and facilities for recording observations on the stars have been devised which render the work vastly more rapid as well as more accurate than before. Indeed, the inventive genius for which Americans have been distinguished in all the useful arts seems now destined to be equally conspicuous in promoting the researches of science.
INDEX.
- A.
- Alamak, [371]
- Aldebaran, [369]
- Alexandrian school, [394]
- Algenib, [371]
- Algol, [371]
- Alioth, [374]
- Almagest, [14]
- Altair, [373]
- Altitude, [20]
- Amplitude, [20]
- Anaxagoras, [395]
- Anaximander, [395]
- Andromeda, [371]
- Antares, [370]
- Antinous, [373]
- Apogee, [187]
- Apsides, [188]
- Aquarius, [371]
- Aquila, [373]
- Archimedes, [136]
- Arcturus, [372]
- Aries, [369]
- Aristotle, [136]
- Astrology, [393]
- Astronomers royal, [48], [404]
- Astronomical clock, [51]
- Astronomical tables, [190]
- Astronomy, [17]
- history of, [14], [392]
- Atmosphere, [100], [410]
- Attraction, [135]
- Auriga, [371]
- Axis of the Earth, [21]
- Azimuth, [20]
- B.
- Bacon, [16], [136]
- Base line, [76]
- Base of verification, [79]
- Bellatrix, [375]
- Betalgeus, [375]
- Bissextile, [64]
- Bootes, [372]
- Bouguer, [74]
- Bowditch, [148]
- Brahean system, [403]
- C.
- Cæsar, Julius, [64]
- Calendar, Grecian, [67]
- Gregorian, [65]
- Cancer, [369]
- Canis Major, [375]
- Canis Minor, [375]
- Capella, [372]
- Capricorn, [370]
- Cassiopeia, [374]
- Catalogues of the stars, [367]
- Central forces, [130]
- Cepheus, [374]
- Ceres, [287]
- Cetus, [374]
- Chronology, [157]
- Chronometers, [210]
- Circles, great and small, [19]
- of diurnal revolution, [81]
- of perpetual apparition, [85]
- of perpetual occultation, [85]
- vertical, [20]
- Clusters, [376]
- Colures, [23]
- Coma Berenices, [372]
- Comet, Biela's, [339]
- Encke's, [340]
- Halley's, [323]
- Comets, [313]
- brightness of, [315]
- Comets, distances of, [317]
- light of, [317]
- magnitude of, [315]
- mass of, [318]
- motions of, [320]
- number of, [315]
- periods of, [316]
- perturbations of, [319]
- structure of, [314]
- tails of, [317]
- Complement, [18]
- Conjunction, [200]
- Constellations, [366]
- Copernican system, [256], [401]
- Copernicus, [14], [255]
- Cor Caroli, [372]
- Cor Hydræ, [375]
- Corona Borealis, [372]
- Corvus, [375]
- Crotona, [394]
- Crystalline spheres, [397]
- Cygnus, [374]
- D.
- Day, astronomical, [61]
- sidereal, [60]
- solar, [60]
- Days of the week, [68]
- Declination, [24]
- Deferents, [400]
- Denebola, [370]
- Distances of the heavenly bodies, how measured, [94]
- Distances of the stars, [387]
- Dolphin, [373]
- Double stars, [381]
- Draco, [374]
- E.
- Earth, diameter of the, [78]
- ellipticity of the, [78]
- figure of the, [69]
- motion of the, [126]
- orbit of the, [149]
- Eclipses, annular, [204]
- calculation of, [201]
- of the moon, [195]
- of the sun, [203]
- Ecliptic, [22]
- Epicycles, [400]
- Equation of time, [61]
- Equations, periodical, [193]
- secular, [193]
- tabular, [190]
- Equator, [21]
- Equinoxes, [22]
- precession of the, [154]
- Eudoxus, [397]
- F.
- Fomalhaut, [371]
- Fraunhofer, [37]
- G.
- Galaxy, [379]
- Galileo, [15]
- abjuration of, [272]
- condemnation of, [266]
- life of, [258]
- persecutions of, [265]
- Gemini, [369]
- Gemma, [372]
- Globes, artificial, [25]
- Gravitation, universal, [145]
- Gravity, terrestrial, [134]
- H.
- Hercules, [372]
- Herschel, Sir Wm., [36], [105], [383]
- Hesperus, [397]
- Hipparchus, [398]
- Horizon, rational, [20]
- sensible, [20]
- Hour-circles, [21]
- Huyghens, [72]
- I.
- Inductive system, [137]
- Inquisition, [138]
- Instruments, astronomical, [29]
- J.
- Juno, [288]
- Jupiter, [247]
- belts of, [248]
- diameter of, [247]
- distance of, [247]
- eclipses of, [250]
- magnitude of, [247]
- satellites of, [250]
- scenery of, [247]
- telescopic view of, [247]
- K.
- Kepler, [300]
- Kepler's laws, [296]
- L.
- Latitude, [22]
- how found, [210]
- Laws of motion, [126]
- terrestrial gravity, [139]
- Leap year, [64]
- Leo, [370]
- Leo Minor, [372]
- Libra, [370]
- Librations of the moon, [179]
- Light, velocity of, how measured, [252]
- Longitude, celestial, [24]
- terrestrial, [22]
- its importance, [208]
- how found, [210]
- by chronometers, [210]
- by eclipses, [212]
- by Jupiter's satellites, [251]
- by lunar method, [213]
- Lucifer, [397]
- Lynx, [372]
- M.
- Magnitudes, how measured, [94]
- Magellan clouds, [378]
- Mars, [245]
- changes of, [245]
- distance of, [245]
- revolutions of, [246]
- Mecanique Celeste, [148]
- Mercury, [230]
- conjunctions of, [231]
- diurnal revolution of, [235]
- phases of, [234]
- sidereal revolut'n of, [231]
- synodical revolut'n of, [231]
- transits of, [237]
- Meridian, [20]
- Meteoric showers, [346]
- origin of, [350]
- Meteoric stones, [290]
- Metonic cycle, [192]
- Miletus, school of, [394]
- Milky Way, [379]
- Mira, [375]
- Mirach, [371]
- Mizar, [374]
- Month, sidereal, [173]
- synodical, [173]
- Moon, [157]
- atmosphere of the, [167]
- cusps of the, [174]
- diameter of the, [158]
- distance of the, [158]
- eclipses of the, [195]
- harvest, [177]
- irregularities of the, [186]
- librations of the, [179]
- light of the, [158]
- mountains in the, [159]
- nodes of the, [173]
- phases of the, [174]
- revolutions of the, [178]-[182]
- scenery of the, [163]
- telescopic appearance of the, [158]
- volcanoes in the, [166]
- volume of the, [158]
- Motion, laws of, [126]
- Motions of the planets, [291]
- Mural circle, [54]
- N.
- Nadir, [20]
- Nature of the stars, [390]
- Nebulæ, [377]
- New planets, [286]
- distances of, [288]
- origin of, [289]
- periods of, [288]
- size of, [289]
- New style, [66]
- Newton, [16], [143]
- O.
- Oblique sphere, [84]
- Obliquity of the ecliptic, [115]
- effect of, on the Seasons, [123]
- how found, [117]
- Observatory, [42]
- Greenwich, [42]-[48]
- Tycho's, [42]
- Old style, [66]
- Ophiucus, [372]
- Opposition, [200]
- Orion, [375]
- Orreries, [112], [292]
- P.
- Pallas, [287]
- Parallactic arc, [91]
- Parallax, [90], [389]
- annual, [387]
- horizontal, [93]
- how found, [94]
- Parallel sphere, [84]
- Parallels of latitude, [24]
- Pegasus, [373]
- Pendulum, [79]
- Perigee, [187]
- Periodical inequalities, [193]
- Perseus, [371]
- Pisces, [371]
- Piscis Australis, [371]
- Planets, [225]
- distances of, [228]
- inferior, [227]
- magnitudes of, [229]
- periods, [229]
- superior, [243]
- Pleiades, [369]
- Pointers, [374]
- Polar distance, [22]
- Polaris, [373]
- Pole, [19]
- of the earth, [21]
- Pollux, [369]
- Power of the Deity, [408]
- Præsepe, [369]
- Precession, [155]
- Prime vertical, [20]
- Primum mobile, [398]
- Principia, [147]
- Procyon, [375]
- Projection of the sphere, [27]
- Proper motions of the stars, [384]
- Ptolemaic system, [399]
- Ptolemy, [398]
- Pythagoras, [394]
- Q.
- Quadrant, [18]
- R.
- Radius, [17]
- Refraction, [95]
- Regulus, [370]
- Resolution of motion, [132]
- Resultant, [132]
- Revolution, annual, [111]
- diurnal, [111]
- Rigel, [375]
- Right ascension, [23]
- Right sphere, [83]
- S.
- Sagittarius, [370]
- Saros, [192]
- Saturn, [274]
- diameter of, [274]
- ring of, [275]
- satellites of, [282]
- scenery of, [283]
- Scorpio, [370]
- Seasons, [119]
- Secondary, [19]
- Secular inequalities, [193]
- Serpent, [373]
- Sextant, [57]
- Sidereal day, [81]
- month, [173]
- Signs, [23]
- Sirius, [375]
- Solstices, [23]
- Sphere, celestial, [19]
- doctrine of the, [16]
- oblique, [84]
- parallel, [84]
- right, [83]
- terrestrial, [19]
- Spica, [370]
- Spots on the sun, [104]
- cause of, [106]
- dimensions of, [105]
- number of, [104]
- Stability of the universe, [410]
- Stars, fixed, [365]
- Stylus, [63]
- Sun, [101]
- attraction of the, [110]
- density of the, [103]
- diameter of the, [102]
- distance of the, [101]
- mass of the, [103]
- nature and constitution of the, [107]
- revolutions of the, [104]
- Sun, spots on the, [104]
- volume of the, [103]
- Supplement, [18]
- System of the world, [392]-[406]
- Brahean, [403]
- Copernican, [401]
- Ptolemaic, [399]
- T.
- Tangent, [129]
- Taurus, [369]
- Telescope, the, [31]
- achromatic, [34]
- directions for using, [39]
- Dorpat, [37] Herschelian, [36]
- history of, [33]
- reflecting, [34]
- Temperature, changes of, [124]
- Temporary stars, [380]
- Terminator, [119], [159]
- Thales, [394]
- Tides, [216]
- cause of, [216]
- spring and neap, [219]
- Time, [59]
- apparent, [61]
- equation of, [61]
- mean, [61]
- sidereal, [60]
- Transits, [237]
- Triangulation, [75]
- Tropic, [117]
- Twilight, [98]
- U.
- Unity of the Deity, [407]
- Uranus, [283]
- diameter of, [283]
- distance of, [284]
- history of, [284]
- period of, [284]
- satellites of, [284]
- scenery of, [285]
- Ursa Major, [373]
- Ursa Minor, [373]
- V.
- Variable stars, [379]
- Venus, [230]
- conjunctions of, [231]
- mountains of, [237]
- phases of, [234]
- revolutions of, [232]
- transits of, [239]
- Vesta, [288]
- Vindemiatrix, [370]
- Virgo, [370]
- Y.
- Year, astronomical, [63]
- tropical, [156]
- Z.
- Zenith, [20]
- Zenith distance, [21]
- Zodiac, [25]
- Zodiacal light, [363]
- Zones, [25]
RECENT DISCOVERIES.
- Improvements in the Telescope, [414]
- Rosse's Leviathan Telescope, [415]
- Pulkova and Cambridge Telescopes, [415]
- Improvements in instrumental Measurements, [416]
- New Planets and Asteroids, [416]
- Great Comet of 1843, [417]
- Distances of the Stars, [418]
- Discovery of Neptune, [419]
- Recent telescopic discoveries, [420]
- Longitude by the Electric Telegraph, [422]
FOOTNOTES:
[1] A small pair of globes, that will answer every purpose required by the readers of these Letters, may be had of the publishers of this Work, at a price not exceeding ten dollars; or half that sum for a celestial globe, which will serve alone for studying astronomy.
[2] From two Greek words, τηλε, (tele,) far, and σκοπεω,(skopeo,) to see.
[3] Brewster's Life of Newton