The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 10, No. 262, July 7, 1827Various
General
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 10, No. 262, July 7, 1827
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
Mercury will again be visible for a short time about the middle of the
month a little after the sun has set, arriving on the 16th at his
greatest eastern elongation, or apparent distance from the centre of the
system, as seen from the earth in 20 deg. _Leo_; and in aphelio, or that
point of his orbit most distant from the sun, on the 22nd; he becomes
stationary on the 29th.
There is only one visible eclipse of Jupiter's first satellite this
month--on the 5th, at 10h. 21m. evening.
The Georgium Sidus, or Herschel, comes to an opposition with the sun on
the 19th, at 6h. 15m. evening; he is then nearest the earth, and
consequently in the most favourable position for observation; he began
retrograding on the 1st of May in 28 deg. 12m. of _Capricornus_; he
rises on the 1st, at 9h. 11m. evening, culminating at 1h. 16m., and
setting at 5h. 21m. morning, pursuing the course of the sun on the 17th
of January; he moves only 13m. of a deg. in the course of the month,
rising 2 h. earlier on the 31st.
This planet, called also Uranus, was discovered by Herschel on the 13th
of March, 1781. It is the most distant orb in our system yet known. From
certain inequalities on the motion of Jupiter and Saturn, the existence
of a planet of considerable size beyond the orbit of either had been
before suspected; its apparent magnitude, as seen from the earth, is
about 3-1/2 sec., or of the size of a star of the sixth magnitude, and
as from its distance from the sun, it shines but with a pale light, it
cannot often be distinguished with the naked eye. Its diameter is about
4-1/2 times that of the earth, and completes its revolution in something
less than 83-1/2 years. The want of light in this planet, on account of
its great distance from the sun, is supplied by six moons, which revolve
round their primary in different periods. There is a remarkable
peculiarity attached to their orbits, which are nearly perpendicular to
the plane of the ecliptic, and they revolve in them in a direction
contrary to the order of the signs.
"Moore," in an old almanack, speaking on the difference of light and
heat enjoyed by the inhabitants of _Saturn_, and the _earth_, says,--
"From hence how large, how strong the sun's bright ball,
But seen from thence, how languid and how small,
When the keen north with all its fury blows,
Congeals the floods and forms the fleecy snows:
'Tis heat intense, to what can there be known,
Warmer our poles than in its burning (!) zone;
One moment's cold like their's would pierce the bone,
Freeze the heart's blood, and turn us all to stone."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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