Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1843-09-28
FOR THE IEFFgRsoNlAN REPUBLICAN.
Chapter on Astronomy.

ChIDGGf Ola ASgfOnOGAI'
See round the sun the rapid planets fly.
Far as in space can reach the keenest eye--
Sill on they fly, their silver light behind,
Swifier than ocean or the unsteady mind.
1t is well known that there are at present,
eleven primary planets, with their satellites,
together with Comets that constitute the Solar
System. These primary planets, taken IN the
order of their nesrness to the sun, are Mercu-
ry. Venus. Earth, Mars, Vesa, Juno, Ceres,
PalIas. Jupiter, Saturn, and Herschel. Each
of these planets has TWO motions, one round
the sun, called its annual moilon and the other
round lis own axis, called lis d'arnaI motion.
These motions are each performed IN the same
direction which is from west 10 east IN 'he
order of the signs of the ecliplic The Time
in which planet moves once round the sun, IS
called its year and the time II which II moves
once round its own axis, is called ITS day -
Mercury, ihirty-six millions six hundred ana
sixty egl, thousand miles from the sun, and
revoIyes round him in eighty seven days. twen-
~ three hours and fourteen mnules--Venus,
sixiv eieh, millions five hundred and foriy-lour
thousand miles. from tho sun, and reVolves
around him in two hundred and twenty-lonr
days. sixteen hours and forty one and hall
minutes. The Earth, nlnely-ilye millions oil
miles from The sun, and revolving round him,
with her moon, in three hundred and slxiy-hve
DAYS. five hours, forty eight minutes, and ioTiy
nine seconds Mars, one hundred and ior'y
four millions Of miles, and revolving round him
in six hundred and eighty six days, twenty
three hours, thirty and half minutes. Vesla,
Juno, Ceres. and Palas, are called new plan
cts. lately discovered between the orbits OF
Mars and Jupiter, all at nearly the same dis
tance from the sun. Some oi the most en'
nen, astronomers consider these planets the
fragments Of large body which has been
burs; asunder by some internal CONFUSION, and
ha, more of these fragments may yet De as
covered between the orbits OF Mars and Jupl-
Ter. Ves,a. the next planet in order IN The So
lar system, was discovered by Doctor Oilers,
OF Bremen. in Lower Saxony, on the 29ih OF
March, 1907. The limo OF lis revolution
round the sun is thirteen hundred and twenty
five days, four hours and forty two minutes
Juno. Two hundred and ffiy-iwo millions OF
miles from the sun, and revolving round him IN
fifteen hundred and eighty days, twenty three
hours and fifty seven minuIcs---Ceres, two
hundred and sixty three millions OF miles from
the sun, and revolving round him IN sixteen
hundred and eighty one days, and thirteen
hours.--PalIas, two hundred and sixty hVe
millions miles from The sun, and revolving round
him in sixteen hundred and eighty six days,
seventeen hours. This planet was discovered
by Dr. Oilers, on the lst OF January, le0l.
Juno was discovered by the astronomer Hard
ing, Of Lilienihral, near Bremen, on the lst oil
September 1904 Ceres was discovered on
the lst of January, 1901 by Mr. Piazzl. aslro-
nomer royal a, Palermo. in Sicily. The next
planet in order is Jupiter, and is The largest oi
all the planets, having four moons. 1t IS lnu'
hundred and ninety millions miles from The
sun, and revolving round him in four thousand
three hundred and thirty days. fourteen hours
and thirty nine minutes. Saturn, encompassed
by two large rings detached from each other
and from the body of the planet--besides be.
ing attended by seven moons is nine hundred
millions of miles from the sun, and revolving
round him in ten thousand seven hundred and
forty six days, nineteen hours, and sixteen
minutes. Herschsl, or Uranus, is the most
dislan, planet yet discovered IN the Solar sys
tenn |, was observed by Mayer. Tycho Brahe
Flamsiead, and other astronomers, and by then
thought 10 be a fixed star; and in fact such i
was considered until Dr. Herschel discovered
it 10 be a planet on the 18th Of March, 1871
Dr. Hersche says IL was attended by sl'
moons, revolving round II, and that The motor
| of each moon round Uranus is reirograde, iha
| is, from cas-, to West Herschel is eighteer
/ hundred millions of miles from the sun, ant
revolving in thirty thousand six hundred ant
thirty seven days, seven hours and twenty on'
minutes.
Having now given q cursory view Of the dis
tances, form, and the times of the revolution
of aIr the known planets round the sun, tha
constitute the solar system, shall devote th'
remainder Of this chapter TO lew brief consid
eraiions of The third planet in the solar system
or The ear,h on which we dwell, and Of III,
sun and moon. The first object 10 be consid
cred in astronomy is the earth, which is reck
onsd one OF the primary planets sphere
globe, or ball. a round body, about 5000 mile
in diameter, and $4,000 in circumference
That il is globe, or ball, there can be no doub
in any rational mind, because it has been proves
[ A 4. r.,