New-York tribune., 1841-12-07

predictions but the faCt va - -
laler. and gradually grew later "a 'i'e go
,.,,ce1 - "a o,bit. If this proceed from sone
- 80, %, investigated, he concluded the error,
=. e-,or :, he ought 10 be less when approaching
=. fl,,,..r Do.itien. He accordingly observed il
d,,;,, the other half OF il revolution, and found
,tr,r II actually was less; and tnat when It had
c-,peec IL rev ,ution and come round 70 IL first
oos:iion the eclipse secured at the precise tine
he had predicted.
He saw at once. therefore, that this variation
could not be mere error in his calculation. but
tlat 1t must have some case - set undiscovered.
IN rejecting deeply upon the ma;-er. tneieiciioas
notion occurred to him that IT might proceed Frosl
the fact that ight takes cer;ain time 10 come 10
/ the earth and that therefore when Jupiter was in
that portion of his orbit nearest the karth, .leHt
came from him in shorter period Of ule tfan " nen
ne was AZ greater distance When Jupiter IS
aear the Earth the extinction Of MS satellite s
seen when the last particle of light that leaves It
reaches the eye. Now 4s Jupiter gels Il greater dis
t.nce the tre REQUIRED for the asi par'ic- OF light
20 reach the eve ofcourse iucrea ID and therefore
ihe Eel pc must take place later. He saw
method Of testing This theory. II this Dc the cause,
nc argued the delay ought to be in proportion To-
The increase IN Jupiter distance ron the Earth.
/ It !, were not he must give up his theory. He
made the necessary comparison and found that
ms proportion always held good. The Distance
+ passed over by Jupiter he could not measure OF
course but knowing ;he rate Al which It moved, and
The tne, thi- easily obtained; Just a. You might
calculate the distance from Baltimore TO Pnadel-
/ uhia BY knowing the difference in time consumed
BY Two railway trains moving At the same velocity,
/ in coming hther from the two cities. On cJmpar-
ng he increased distance with the delay, the Da-
/ nish astronomer found that for every second OF
inc there was an increase OF 200. 600 miles and
- therefore Inferred tina, hight that rate.
This according 10 the most rigorous prlucipies OF
modern physics, would be deeuod a sufficient de-
ron,tr4tion OF the rate which Eight moves but
we have other modes OF proving the same thing
derived from the fixed stars which WI. be noticed
n their appropriate connection.
Blu, leaving this planet Ie; Us pass to Saturn.
ahpse distance from the Sun ! 900 100000 Of
niles, OF twice that Of Jupiter. Ga examining
a urn with powerful telescope, belt, may re
.een across its face similar to, aud having the same
pnyscal cause as those Of Ju 1iter. TINS Is ons
point Of analogy between the-. planets. An
! ,ther is seen by rrmaIking the varieties of light
and shade md mo ION. Saturn revoiyes IL ten
aonfs, which i. the length OF bis day
Here j. discovered re narke9le fact: that tie
cnasm between Mirs and Jupiter separates two
t>iiuct classes Of planets. While Tie inner OF
thosc ncarcs, the Sun have close analogy 10 tine
Elrth tho outer ones resemble e-ch other in the
,nuine.s OF tAeir Sun and in ;he rapid tcissltCdcs
d day and night.
Saturn /, attended by seven Moons. and here too
most beautiful und astonishing example oi the
,rinclre Of compensation As the apparent mag
,itudc and therefore the light and hc.i OF the sun
O., diminished the number OF Moons i, increased.
But still more strongly this principle eNsmphied.
T., ,T his Mnnus SurIrn bss "A splaudid
AID most remarkable aPPcndase in the ring which
surrounds it. This has been subjected TO TIC
closes, and most accurate investisaton by the pow
.rful telescopes Of Herschol and others, 50 that
80 are well acquainted with Us physical constiu-
non aud the variety of circumstances attending Il
The diameter of Saturn Is II ,UG0 Rcs: lis dis
lance from the inner edge OF tho rins Is 20, GOO
,h. breadrh of the inner ring Is $4,000; and the
breadth of the outer ring Is 10000. U" examina
ion we see black streak which appears as it
portion Of the ring ware incapable OF rejecting the
igut; but Herschell with his powerful telescope
proved that this open space-that there
we're two riags, one outside the other. his was
pat past all doubt by the fact that Herscncil saw
.tlrs between the Two. The distance between
rneip is 1000 miles. leu would think that
10 enormous would have n hckncss in proportion
outthis is not the case. The thickness of the ring
Is 80 small as never have been accurately cal
,ulatrd it is known, however tuat 1t cannot be
vcr 200 miles. When the edge ot the ring l.
uirned toward ihs Earth II Is perfectly invisible
sven to the great fort, foot telescope OF tlerschell
Thi. appendnge must present most magnificent
appearance I, the inhabitants OF the planet. No
,lcc too how the principle OF compensation IS car
led out: for besides bis seven moons, Saturn has
his great luaar belt TO supply him with light; for
20 the inhubitants this ring span the holl-
zon like an immense ranbow--a lunar arsh en-
9racing the vault ot the ky and throwing volumes
Of fight upon the planet.
tnt telescopes were brought to high degree
,t perfection, Tins ring perpetual p.zzle t.
astronomers The great difficulty was, how this
tns. having no connection with, no TIC 10 bind IT
70 the paaet, contrlved to keep with the planet in
is cenlIc. The natural tendency OF their motion
>as that either the ring or the planet should move
the fastest, and thus that they should come into
..lli,ion When 1t discovered that there were
Two separate rings, the difficulty wa, sl more in
-urmounia.c. Yet it WAS fact beyond dispute
ina for thousands of ages this planet. win II, at
trndant rings had been rolling Is orbit and yet
no collision had ever taken place. Hersche-l found
iha, the surface ot tie ring mountainous, va
red by light and shade; and, By watching the spots
uoon 1t. that it revolyed around the planet upon
,s centre and that the time OF revolution was the
same a., a satellite wouId take If placed at the same
distance from the pIanet. He concluded, there
orr, that ,hi> ring nothing more than aa inti-
mt number of satellites touching each other, and
that the ring revolved by the same laws whicn
,,osd govern a single moon. Thus you see what
extreme beauty there is in this arransemel = ana
IL depends no, at all upon the essential properties
Of matter for its existence. Saturn with ms riHgs
mlshr have been rudey projected into space, and
We, never have ravolvcd upon their centres, or ex-
aibited aush. OF the beautiful harmony they low
display. They were put where they are and their
,.,,l,n ndinsird h> that Hand lhat never errs IN