New-York tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1841-1842, 1841-12-28


are MANY causes. ari.ing from the more advantage
Gus circumstances under which they may be seen
which should render them objects OF extreme 10
terest IN this country. They generally make ther
appearaace twice during each REVOLUTION Oh .ne
Earth in it, orbi,-about the lin ct November
ard near the middle of July. They often appear
in q shower. rs il We're; and It has been supposed
b, -7aBy that ihey are BODIES revolving around TIE
S,,n until encountered BY me Eauh--tpo snail 10
be visible excent under very peculiar circumstances
7, : evident that they belong 10 the general class
of arohres ,heir magnitude + often siN or elshs
hundred thousand tons. and from fragment. which
have b.ea examined. their consistency = knowE 10
be a. great "a thar OF granite. 10 eNPian n
well a. can be done. their crlsis would BE- merely
repetition Of visa. | said concerning tFoAtes,-
Thu, ous.tion rnay arisc-Wh1uce cones their il sH,
since they are non-luninous M Is easily eN-
plaiued. upon the principle to which have often
,ilr9s3 ,bar BODIES may move through The ar
with s!c velocity a. toeVo,ve both iish and neat
The rensinder of TINS Lecture was principally
m explanation cf the several double stars, nebu-
ls. &c. exhibited IN the great moving diorama ct
the heavens. which Dr. Lardner has prepared to'
,hi, parp5ss. Ofcourse. these could not be use
f.lly embodied IN our Report. The principal gen
etal observations Incorporated into these eNPlans-
tons were the following
have already alluded to the fact that when we
examine the stars OF the armament we had taat
many OF them arc not single stars. bu; double
,het they are connected together by physical is
Twin systems revolving about each other, The dii
terence in their colors and their always preserving
the relation of the harmonic ooors. though worthy
of notice are facts rot capable OF satisfactory eN-
plauaton. This NAV belong 10 the class OF deceP-
ton, which | have already noticed this evening -
Although no one suppo>es that they are not double
-rats sun Though one Is red tie other may not be
blue, a. it Is in appearance the eye may De 50
Impressed WIKI the red 10 see IL coueiatNc'
5luo iu,t rs in the case OF the water
The number Of double stars Is very sreat-sey-
cral thousand, being distinctly visible over the
armament The triple stars have motions, reia-
tive to each other mentioned last evening They
move In ellipses in obcdience the lav OF gravi'
ia-;on TINS a. established by NswroN, declares
that II two bodies have a mutual attraction they
viii always move the one around the other in el-
ipss.. Sir William Heg.che found that the
double stars have Just such motions are pre-
scribe4 BY thu Law There can be no doubt then
tina. the swuy OF the principle OF srayitation eN-
tend, from the solar system to such distances as 10
leave doubt that it IS part Of the sy'tcn OF the
Universe.
I'm looking upon the heavens we are strack with
the appearance ot clusters groups OF stars, called
Consultations or the Great Boar. Orian and others
lii, mos, ii>ey that tins particular arrangement
Is entirely ca-gal--lhere benny SO necessary phys'
cal connection between the stats OF Jhe Great
Scar which should prescribe ttil, especisl arrauge-
ment. But when We cNamiu' them with tcIe-
scope find other sroup- to which these o5ser-
v4tons will not apply. Some OF these aoQcar
ike clusters To- me ege While others are merely
white spots; they are OF various forms generally
OF aspherica or giobuIag shape some o. ttta
appear Us distant stars, winch may be- counted
Vhe others have the appearance Of wnltsh
cloud even to the most powe tai telescopes.
There also collections ol-iars t1 be seen sn'la-
gous to the bed OF stars which ,>pisii.ed las
evening Of which Sua Is Individual mem
ber When we look out upon The arthest bounds
the mind can ken, we find minute objects which
eyon 10 the telescope have the appearance OF stars
powdered over the armament. In other cases va
MAJ doubt whether we can discern the individual
Stars OF not-some maintaining that they can,
while TO others they have tic appearance OF dim,
cloudy spots That all these are composed OF in
diyidual stars analogy leaves no room for doubt.
in many portions Of the hrmament, rs you see
By this dorama, presented appearances OF
faint strcaks OF light: there is reason 10 believe
that these also are vast beds of stars which pre-
sent themselves to our vis~ edscwise, az | eS-
p aimed at tho asst cvcninc.
Many of these nebu.ar nre annuer, composed ol
stars placed in the form OF rings which We in
all directions, directly in front and others at
every possible angle Of o5Iiquiy. There IS one,
which Is here exhibited which has the form of
hour-gass, or dumb-oell. might observe tnat
when d star is observed through telescope it
ceases to scintiiatc that the appearance on tho
drawing i, more accurate than might at first be
supposed.
The auubcr of nebuloc catalogaed and distinct
ly recognised by astronomers amounts to between
three and four thousand. The observers who have
devoted most attention to the subject have e.ti-
mated tho distance Of some Of these nebuiae TO be-
20 great that it would require $4,000 year' for
light from them to reach earth. Ii must be
then that they have continued to exist for that
length OF time and for ought we know, may have
been boted from being for so many years past.
NEW-YuRK SUPREME COCRT-ln the IN tier ofthe
application Of the Mayor, Aldermen and Csnnoasy Of
the Ciy OF Nrw-Yolk. relative to .psnng Thiuyecond