Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-04-17

/ lion was transmitted 10 Maskolyne and Le-
lande, and was confirmed al Paris, Miian, Pisa
| Berlin, and Stockholm. The star was general
| w considered as an extraordinary comet Tree
| Of all nebuosity and astronomers were oecu.
Lied in determining the parabolic elements 81
| its course. The President bochard de oaFoh,
of the Academy Of Sciences OF Paris and LEX
81, an astronomer of ST Petersburg, who was
| in London at the time, were the hrst VINO els
covered its circular form, and Calculated the
dimensions ofthe orbit. Ii was now no longer
doubted, rha, HeIschei's star was new planet;
| aud all subsequent observations verihtd IRIS
uuexpec ted result. We have here striking
pr oof Of tie perfection Of modern theories; for
the laws regulating he motion Of this new
planet, were determined before i: had accom-
! plished the tenth par, of its course, and that
motion was not less accurately known than
that Of other planets whirh mad been obser ed
during so manv centuries. lis distance from
the sun is double that OF Saturn, ;hat Is 10 say,
upwards Of CSC, 900 900 Of miles; lis volume is
more than seventy times as large as that OF the
earth, it may be seen in favourable weather,
without the assistance Of a glass. Inc
| period Of its revolution is about eighty ''our
years; and us temperature, situated 81 the ex>
lremlics Of the known planetary system, IS
more than forty degcees below that oil ice.
Some idea OF It's distance from The earth may
be formed from the fact ,ha' hight which ira
wells at the rate OF 10000 miles III second
takes about two hours and 4 half ~ come from
it lous.
! IIerschel, and; pre-, ious 10 his time, Domi-
nique Cassini and Calico, wished to give to
the celestial bodies Which they discovered, the
names Of the princes who had favored their la
. bUrs; several astronomers Fave proposed the
names Of the FIST observers, but the names OF
the recently discovered p'anets have not been
dictated either by justice or gratitude; they have
| been drawn from the confused remembrance OF
fables that have become unintell1gible. The
new planet received from Hersrhel the name
ofthe Gcorgium Sdus; while astronomers al
first gave it that Of tersche but afterwards
hesitaled with regard to The names OF Cybele,
Neptune, dramas, the last Of which ultimately
prevailed
| When the motion Of this planet was oalcu>
lated, the points Of the heavens which II had
succesively occupied during The preceding GER
tnry, could be- pointed out; aud thus, on con.
sulting the collections Of preceding obserVa-
lions, it was discovered tina, Flams,cad, May
er, and Lamonirr, had pointed on, in those very
places, stars which are now no longer to ae
seen there. Their obssr, atoms evidently refer
| TO HerschePs planet, which they had not distln>
guished from the fixed s'ars.
The genealogical opinions Of Kepier, LAM
BERT and Kant, led them to suppose the exist
ence Of an eig,h planet between Jupiter and
Mars. The comparison that had been made
| Of the distances of each planet from that OF
Mercury, which is thenesreSt 10 tie sun, sugges
IL la similar remark. The discovery o. Uranus
| rendered the idea much more plausible, x excit-
| cd astronomers to new researches. The result
was, that, in the great interval between Mas &
Jupiter, and at distance siflrring litllr from
what hid been indicated, there we're discovered
four small stars, which lock like so many Sc
parated parts Of the same planetary Body, and
which can only be perceived with the aid Of
telescopes. These important OBJ Sc ~ aiia...
made a"o", --~Trr'"enC'meht vi inc present
century; we owe them 10 Piazz, Oilers, and
Harding.
The astronomical labours Of the music mas
ter of the Bath Chapel, The perfection Of his
instruments which were all his own workman
ship, the singular circumstances of his life,
the aids with which the arts had furnished him;
and the noble use to which he applied his lei
sure hours. were the subjec, OF conversation in
England, and throughout all Europe All
these details came to the knowledge OF the
king. George the Third loved the sciences
as the ornaments Of states. as pure source OF
glory and public prosperity. He sen, Tor
Hersohel, anticipated and realised all bis views,
and made him fix hi residence al Date het,,
and soon after al Slough within very short
distance Of Windor Castle.
The retreat of Slough brcame one Of the
most remark ,blr places ofthe, civilized world;
it was visited by ilrus,rious travellers. Hershei
dwelt there with his family;it was there that
he finished his long and memorable career
The king Interested himself in all his research
rs, and frequently wished 10 augmen; the ex-
pences proposed, in order that nothing nigh,
limit either the perfection or the dimtnsion of
his Instruments History ought TO preserve
forever tie reply Of this prince TO celebrated
foreigner who was thanking him for the large
Gums he had expended in furthering the pro-
prrss Of astronomy 81 :.ay the expenses Of
war" said the king, because they are necessa-
nv; as to those of science, it is agreeable to me
20 precribe them; their objec' costs no tears,and
does honour 10 human nature"
u.rs.I,.l k,b secured The aSSIstance tf ope