The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1824-03-10
ASTRONOMICAL LECTURES.

LIOm fNc pcOISCbOtUH {tfctFoNOtHHH'
NJ. Edl,os; | have attended Mr.. Gooda-
cre's FIRST and secood lectures, and was
pleased to see so respectable an assem-
blage of ladies and gentlemen, which
confirms my opinion, tina, the inhabitants
fGeorgetown, rank among the foremost
in this district, in encouraging any thing
in which are blended amusement, grauh
ca.ion, information and know ledge which
tends To refine, expand and exa.t the hu-
man mind and think nothing is wanting
to prove tie correctness Ut this opinion
bu, more frequent opportunities Of a,
tending exhibitions calculated TO lead TO
the know kdge Of philosophy and polite
science. lam convinced that every thing
OF this kind will meet with support, pro-
por,ioDedt 10 its value and important USE
fuiness , and according to the talents and
merits Otis professor or the talents of
M g. have already, in former CON
municatioDs, expressed my opinion and
the correctness or incorreciness Of that
opinion has nov been tested by the res
pectab'e many. who amended the lectures,
already delivered Gn Thursday eve
ning Mr. q in ctibing the orbits Of
the planets and the Inciina,ions of The
planes OF those orbits, used an instfu.
meni which spoke language 10 The eye
more expressive than words could con
Vey' IL wss opsque, apparently made OF
wood, II simple construction, consist
ing OF number OF concepuic circles or
hoops and when in one plane, we're all
Verucab but were capable of being mo
we'd so as TO be variousiy Inclined To each
oiher as the nature Of The cas- Wjght re-
quire. Tn that evening the solar s,sem
with all the planets in mulIon round thei:
common centre, the sun. was exhibited
on the grand transparent orrery; and TO
those unacquainted With astrt nomie a.,
science, must have con,e, ed considerable
information, both with respect 10 The
names and motions of the respective
planets. As the lecturer, in describing
them, repeated the language of az emf
nent poet and as The name IF each planet
occurred, that body was SCI in motion
Alter each had reen thus distin
9ulshed The orrery was exhibited wiki
all the planets moving q, one and the
same time; the quantity Of their motion
being to each other in proportion Of their
respective revolutionary periods So -
raj diagrams were used, " hich conveyed
correc' ideas OF the form OF accentricilics
OF The planetary orbits, their msgniludes
ana distances from their GENRE OF motion,
and the different apparent size oil the sun
a. seen from the diferen, planets, &.
20 Saturday evening slr. q. commenced
as usual with Introductory remarks. his
pflnc par OBJECT inthose remarks was 10
pfosSl mat astronomical pursuits serve To
Confirm unan in the belief of divine reyeIa
non. although think many OF his e.
marks OH this topic ere exec lent and
"nans" erabie yet think he occupied
100 mach time in impresSIng self, evide NJ
truths, al d also think he iallt d IN ,.,o
pom which he at'emr,ed 10 prove, VIZ
mat ASTRONOMY hroUsd tax uuih Of q,
'ne revelation. an inclined to thif,k
ne revelation rather proves and corIoho
rstesihs an'iquiiy- 9TH Of astronomy 1
80 general sepse. HoweveI il Is not
ny wish to find blenishes in parts al
'ha3taken as o whole, was excelieu,
and impressive and designed 10 produces
good moral effects.
Va 'his evening the instruments prin>
''Paiiy used, were the large transparent
giooe, s1d the vertical telluriaD; or The
latter OF these Instruments, The motions
OF the earth and Venus were represent
ed and the apparent regular and irreeu
lar motions of the latter planet. as seen
IL ON the earth, are accounted for and
rendered intelligibie 10 any capacity. In
describing the name of propelling or
centrifugal force and irs counteracline
ceniTipetal forc,, Mr. g showed The
effects which would be produced on a
ball being struck IN one direction, and
while under the force Of lha, propulsion
receiving stroke calculated 10 drive il
ID another direction and showed that il
would move in direction different 10
the directing force of either. Perhaps
II would have been some additional illus
tralion If MIR. q bad supposed the ball
last at one end of a cord while The other
end is secure in some fixed point, round
which, the ball on receiving the propell-
ing stroke, must move in a circular di-
reetiop instead Of flying OFF in a tangent
know the cord would not, thus fixed,
aim Is draw il higher 10 the center, but
II would 50 far couDteiact the propulsion
as to keep IT from flying from it /
beg Mf G's pardon, mean not to offend
nor to deprecIate from his great merit
1 know il is much more easy TO attempt
TO mend than il is to invent ; and even
where there are biemishes that remark