Recreations in Astronomy: With Directions for Practical Experiments and Telescopic Work

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Recreations in Astronomy, by Henry Warren This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: Recreations in Astronomy With Directions for Practical Experiments and Telescopic Work Author: Henry Warren Release Date: April 14, 2005 [EBook #15620] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RECREATIONS IN ASTRONOMY *** Produced by Robert J. Hall. [Page ii] [Illustration: THE CONSTELLATIONS OF ORION AND TAURUS. NOTES.--Star a in Taurus is red, has eight metals; moves east (page 227). At o above tip of right horn is the Crab Nebula (page 219). In Orion, a is variable, has five metals; recedes 22 miles per second. b, d, e, x, r, etc., are double stars, the component parts of various colors and magnitudes (page 212, note). l and i are triple; s, octuple; th, multiple, surrounded by a fine Nebula (page 218).] [Page iii] RECREATIONS IN ASTRONOMY WITH _DIRECTIONS FOR PRACTICAL EXPERIMENTS AND TELESCOPIC WORK_ BY HENRY WHITE WARREN, D.D. AUTHOR OF "SIGHTS AND INSIGHTS; OR, KNOWLEDGE BY TRAVEL," ETC. WITH EIGHTY-THREE ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS OF STARS [Page v] [Greek: TAEI PSUCHAEI TAEI AGAPAETAEI ASTRAPOUSAEI KAI ISAGGEDOI] [Page vii] PREFACE. All sciences are making an advance, but Astronomy is moving at the double-quick. Since the principles of this science were settled by Copernicus, four hundred years ago, it has never had to beat a retreat. It is rewritten not to correct material errors, but to incorporate new discoveries. Once Astronomy treated mostly of tides, seasons, and telescopic aspects of the planets; now these are only primary matters. Once it considered stars as mere fixed points of light; now it studies them as suns, determines their age, size, color, movements, chemical constitution, and the revolution of their planets. Once it considered space as empty; now it knows that every cubic inch of it quivers with greater intensity of force than that which is visible in Niagara. Every inch of surface that can be conceived of between suns is more wave-tossed than the ocean in a storm. The invention of the telescope constituted one era in Astronomy; its perfection in our day, another; and the discoveries of the spectroscope a third--no less important than either of the others. While nearly all men are prevented from practical experimentation in these high realms of knowledge, few [Page viii] have so little leisure as to be debarred from intelligently enjoying the results of the investigations of others. This book has been written not only to reveal some of the highest achievements of the human mind, but also to let the heavens declare the glory of the Divine Mind. In the author's judgment, there is no gulf that separates science and religion, nor any conflict where they stand together. And it is fervently hoped that anyone who comes to a better knowledge of God's works through reading this book, may thereby come to a more intimate knowledge of the Worker. I take great pleasure in acknowledging my indebtedness to J. M. Van Vleck, LL.D., of the U.S. Nautical Almanac staff, and Professor of Astronomy at the Wesleyan University, for inspecting some of the more important chapters; to Dr. S. S. White, of Philadelphia, for telescopic advantages; to Professor Henry Draper, for furnishing, in advance of publication, a photograph of the sun's corona in 1878; and to the excellent work on "Popular Astronomy," by Professor Simon Newcomb, LL.D., Professor U. S. Naval Observatory, for some of the most recent information, and for the use of the unequalled engravings of Jupiter, Saturn, and the great nebula of Orion. [Page ix] CONTENTS. CHAP. I. CREATIVE PROCESSES II. CREATIVE PROGRESS Constitution of Light Chemistry of Suns revealed by Light Creative Force of Light III. ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTS The Telescope The Reflecting Telescope The Spectroscope IV. CELESTIAL MEASUREMENTS Celestial Movements How to Measure V. THE SUN What the Sun does for us VI. THE PLANETS, AS SEEN FROM SPACE The Outlook from the Earth VII. SHOOTING-STARS, METEORS, AND COMETS Aerolites Comets Famous Comets Of what do Comets consist? Will Comets strike the Earth? VIII. THE PLANETS AS INDIVIDUALS Vulcan Mercury Venus The Earth The Aurora Borealis [Page x] The Delicate Balance of Forces Tides The Moon Telescopic Appearance Eclipses Mars Satellites of Mars Asteroids Jupiter Satellites of Jupiter Saturn Rings of Saturn Satellites of Saturn Uranus Neptune IX. THE NEBULAR HYPOTHESIS. X. THE STELLAR SYSTEM The Open Page of the Heavens Equatorial Constellations Characteristics of the Stars Number Double and Multiple Stars Colored Stars Clusters of Stars Nebulæ Variable Stars Temporary, New, and Lost Stars Movements of Stars XI. THE WORLDS AND THE WORD XII. THE ULTIMATE FORCE SUMMARY OF LATEST DISCOVERIES AND CONCLUSIONS SOME ELEMENTS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLANATION OF ASTRONOMICAL SYMBOLS Signs of the Zodiac Other Abbreviations Used in the Almanac Greek Alphabet Used Indicating the Stars CHAUTAUQUA OUTLINE FOR STUDENTS GLOSSARY OF ASTRONOMICAL TERMS AND INDEX [Page xi] ILLUSTRATIONS FIG. The Constellations of Orion and Taurus 1. An Orbit resulting from Attraction and Projection 2. The Moon's Orbit about the Earth 3. Changes of Orbit by Mutual Attraction 4. Velocity of Light measured by Jupiter's Satellites 5. Velocity of Light measured by Fizeau's Toothed Wheel 6. White Light resolved into Colors 7. Showing amount of Light received by Different Planets 8. Measuring Intensities of Lights 9. Reflection and Diffusion of Light 10. Manifold Reflections 11. Refraction by Water 12. Atmospherical Reflection 13. Refracting Telescope 14. Reflecting Telescope 15. The Cambridge Equatorial Refractor 16. The new Reflecting Telescope at Paris 17. Spectroscope, with Battery of Prisms 18. Spectra of Glowing Hydrogen and of the Sun 19. Illustrating Arcs and Angles 20. Measuring Objects by observing Angles 21. Mural Circle 22. Scale to measure Hundredths of an Inch 23. Spider-lines to determine Star Transits 24. Illustrating Triangulation [Page xii] 25. Measuring Distance to an Inaccessible Object 26. Measuring Elevation of an Inaccessible Object 27. Illustrating Parallax 28. Illustrating Stellar Parallax 29. Mode of Ascertaining Longitude 30. Relative Size of Sun, as seen from Different Planets 31. Zodiacal Light 32. Corona of the Sun in 1858--Brazil 33. Corona of the Sun in 1878--Colorado 34. Solar Prominences of Flaming Hydrogen 35. Changes in Solar Cavities during Rotation 36. Solar Spot 37. Holding Telescope to see the Sun-spots 38. Orbits and Comparative Sizes of the Planets 39. Orbit of Earth, illustrating Seasons 40. Inclination of Planes of Planetary Orbits 41. Inclination of Orbits of Earth and Venus 42. Showing the Sun's Movement among the Stars 43. Passage of the Sun by Star Regulus 44. Apparent Path of Jupiter among the Stars 45. Illustrating Position of Planets 46. Apparent Movements of an Inferior Planet 47. Apparent Movements of a Superior Planet 47_a_. A Swarm of Meteors meeting the Earth 48. Explosion of a Bolide 49. Flight of Bolides 50. The Santa Rosa Aerolite 51. Orbit of November Meteors and the Comet of 1866 52. Aspects of Remarkable Comets 53. Phases and Apparent Dimensions of Venus 54. The Earth and Moon in Space 55. Aurora as Waving Curtains 56. Tide resulting from Centrifugal Motion 57. Lunar Landscape [Page xiii] 58. Telescopic View of the Moon 59. Illumination of Lunar Craters and Peaks 60. Lunar Crater "Copernicus" 61. Eclipses: Shadows of Earth and Moon 62. Apparent Sizes of Mars, seen from the Earth 63. Jupiter 64. Various Positions of Jupiter's Satellites 65. View of Saturn and his Rings 66. Perturbations of Uranus 67. Map: Circumpolar Constellations 68. Map of Constellations on the Meridian in December 69. Map of Constellations on the Meridian in January 70. Map of Constellations on the Meridian in April 71. Map of Constellations on the Meridian in June 72. Map of Constellations on the Meridian in September 73. Map of Constellations on the Meridian in November 74. Southern Circumpolar Constellations 75. Aspects of Double Stars 76. Sprayed Star Cluster below ae in Hercules 77. Globular Star Cluster in the Centaur 78. Great Nebula about th Orionis 79. The Crab Nebula above z Tauri 80. The Ring Nebula in Lyra 81. Showing Place of Ring Nebula 82. The Horizontal Pendulum COLORED PLATE REPRESENTING VARIOUS SPECTA MAPS TO FIND THE STARS [Page 1] I. CREATIVE PROCESSES. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep."--_Genesis_ i. 1, 2. [Page 2] "Not to the domes, where crumbling arch and column Attest the feebleness of mortal hand, But to that fane, most catholic and solemn, Which God hath planned,-- To that cathedral, boundless as our wonder, Whose quenchless lamps the sun and stars supply; Its choir the winds and waves, its organ thunder, Its dome the sky." H. W. LONGFELLOW. "The heavens are a point from the pen of His perfection; The world is a rose-bud from the bower of His beauty; The sun is a spark from the light of His wisdom; And the sky a bubble on the sea of His power." SIR W. JONES.[Page 3