Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-04-15

Mitchell will be the means of inducing
many to turn their attention 10 the mathc.
matics, since il is through them alone
that they can gain admittance 10 the high
or departments Of physical science. BY
these it is that the heavens are scaled
these are the. Pelion and Ossa on which
Newton and La Place have climbed, 10 scan
the vast domain Of the Almighty. BY
these have the sun and planets been mea-
sured and weighed taken in the hand us il
were. and their distances and motions ac-
curately determined; by these alone have
we been able to derive our loftiest concep.
tons of the Uncomfortable vastness Of the
universe, and the still more inconceivable
majesty, sublimity and omnipotence Of the
Deity.
The satellites of Jupiter, their discove-
ry by Calico, and their eclipses we're next
considered; the use made Of these eclipses,
and the remarkable discovery, by means
of the velocity'was rendered quite intelli-
| gible TO ALL Hadley's labors in endoa-
yoring to determine the paraIlax Of the fix
ed stars. were also alluded to, as having
resulted in determining the velocity Of
light. The method of La Place, by ma
thematcal equations, was also noticed
A very good explanation Of the alteration
OF light, the same as that Of Herschell, was
given, which, wc presume, was quite in
teligibe. The very singular relation OK.
isting between the mean angular velocities
or mean motions Of The three first satel-
lies of Jupiter, was explained, This re.
lation is such, that If we add 10 twice the
mean angular velocity Of the third that Of
the first, the sum will be three times that
of the second. Its also curious deduc-
ton from the same relation, that il from
the mean longitude of the first, added to
twice that Of the third be subtraced three
times that OF the second, tho remainder
is always the constant quantity Of $50 de-
grees: SO that the position Of any two Of
them gives that OF the other. Another
curious consequence IL, that all the sa-
ieli,es cannot be eclipsed at once, though
there is one instance on record, according
to Herschcll, Of Jupiier's satellites being all
eclpsed at once. II is recorded by Molly
neux in 1851. It is probably mistake.
These eclipses have been Of immense va
lue to the world in the determination of
longitude, though the methods BY lunar dis.
tances and .iocculiations arc odencr used.
An argument adverse to the idea Of resist
ing medium, is also derived from the
above curious relation subssting between
the three first satellites.
The beautiful planet Saturn, with its
rings and seven moons came next in order.
OF these satellites we know much less
than those Of Jupiter. The appearance
Of the heavens to an iphabitant OF Saturn
was beautifully shown with luminous d.
agram. Prof. Mitchell, in speaking Of
the rings, observed that Bessel had sup.
posed that there might be three rings; and
Father Di Vico, of Rome, six or seven
The idea had also been advanced by Bes.
sell, that the rings Of Saturn might be on
" chain Of globes following one another
in close succession. II is the opinion of
Prof. Nj. that we know but very little Of this
planet and lis appendaoes. that ii IL vat
terra ;ncoon;to nnen;ng I VA Ala a. e..
ira laboSs. Tbe d;ssonearnncs of The
rings Of Saturn was mentioned as afford
ind evidence II M r;ncs m, HAVING tba
a me Uniform thickness throughout The
r,nos when seen Win their edgc towards
he ob.erver assume the aonea snce ~
iva ansae extending from ~ sides Il M
olanet. same observations we're nads
abou, Inc mauner tbe r;nos were Sustained
aho,t the nlanet The solu,;or ~ Ill
question vas referred n he ,heo,v n oo,;
I;hrs,;no arces The cer,,e u a I
ar NJ y;nos descr;bad aro,,nd ~ s Man,,
LAY /. p'a-o'