Loading your reading…

The Study of Astronomy, adapted to the capacities of youth: In twelve familiar dialogues, between a tutor and his pupil: explaining the general phænomena of the heavenly bodies, the theory of the tides, &c.Stedman, John, teacher of astronomy

Science

The Study of Astronomy, adapted to the capacities of youth: In twelve familiar dialogues, between a tutor and his pupil: explaining the general phænomena of the heavenly bodies, the theory of the tides, &c.

Name: The Study of Astronomy, adapted to the capacities of youth: In twelve familiar dialogues, between a tutor and his pupil: explaining the general phænomena of the heavenly bodies, the theory of the tides, &c.
Author: Stedman, John, teacher of astronomy

Stedman, John, teacher of astronomy

Astronomy -- Juvenile literature -- Early works to 1800

CONTENTS.


                DIALOGUE I.                        p. 1.

            Introduction. Definition. The sun and planets. A
              globe defined. Sun’s distance and magnitude.
              Planets, what; their names, periods, and
              distances from the sun; their magnitudes,
              compared with the earth; called inferior and
              superior, why. Comets; derivation of the name.
              Solar system; why so called.


                DIALOGUE II.                      p. 10.

            Different systems explained. Planets appear like
              stars; they shine by reflection; how known
              from stars; they never twinkle, why. Stars
              shine with their own native light; their
              inconceivable distance; are suns, the centers
              of other systems. Plurality of worlds.


                DIALOGUE III.                     p. 20.

            The earth has the appearance of a star to Venus.
              Remote objects appear at equal distances from
              us. Our earth is a moon to the moon. The orb
              of the moon visible soon after the change; her
              disc and bulk compared with the earth; her
              mean distance. Sun’s disc compared with hers.
              Our sun a star, if seen from a planet of
              another system. Stars as far from each other
              as the nearest is to us. Stars distinguished
              by their apparent magnitude. The Milky Way
              innumerable stars. Number of stars visible at
              one time to the naked eye.


                DIALOGUE IV.                      p. 29.

            Stars divided into constellations; necessary for
              ascertaining the situation of the planets, and
              of the stars with each other. Planets motion
              regular if seen from the sun; irregular as
              seen from the earth, the motion being
              sometimes direct, sometimes retrograde; at
              others they appear stationary. Superior and
              inferior conjunction, and opposition, what.
              Venus has the different phases of the moon.
              Planets, how distinguished from each other.


                DIALOGUE V.                       p. 39.

            Ecliptic, what. Inclination of the orbits of the
              planets. Nodes of the planets, what. A plane,
              what. Planets move in unbounded space. Mercury
              and Venus seen on the sun’s disc. Number of
              signs in the zodiac. Zodiac, what. A degree,
              what. Names of the signs. Number of degrees in
              each sign. Sun’s place in the ecliptic. Table
              of signs, their characters, &c. To find the
              sun’s place in the ecliptic for any day in the
              year.


                DIALOGUE VI.                      p. 50.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Study of Astronomy, adapted to the capacities of youth: In twelve familiar dialogues, between a tutor and his pupil: explaining the general phænomena of the heavenly bodies, the theory of the tides, &c.

No reviews yet