New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-03-19

mike chsrge--around this Planet le. IA eps circiins
moon This. too, II Il were not under the influence Of
any other object than s own center would take Up s
upvsrying circle But the primary Planet takes is
course round the Fun the ster draws the Moon swsy
from the earth and here introduced disturbances
one OF these bodies B.erfeTes with anOtner-yet
not how complex these disturbances az be- snay.
fS can trace them, and not only trace them bat add
other planets and other satellites sn5 yet the mutual
turbances Of these upon each other have been computed
in the most absolute manner The maihemsteisn ha.
gone 90 far az 20 actually write out 10 symbocal char.
scters the history Of the Universe We have not only
Tho present and the past but Whist IL more wonderful
still roll back the curtain Of Futury and predict with
absolute certainty changes that 70 take place In the
marshsings Of the hosts Of the cniverse
Three thousand years ago an Astronomer who was
then located upon the Tower Of Babylon, announced
tn at the sun was sinking in eclipse We know the
year we know the circumstances, we know the fact
and the Mathematician and the Astronomer take up
movements Of the Moon and sun determine the relative
distances Of these bodies At that period and when this
Is sscertaned II IL found that the motion Of the
Moon is not What il was 5000 years ago. The ooserTa
tons Of our day prove that the Moon Is moving
rapidly in Us orbit than at earlier periOds This
fact for long time, perplexed Astronomers Some
conceived that II would be necessary 10 reject the old
tables Of computation some that the law of GTaYitson
could not account for it, and after much tosorne exam
nation was almost abandoned 10 despair when fort-
nately, Ia PLACE stepped in, and applying his mighty
mind 70 the solution of the problem. Science
from the dilemma in which she seemed 10 be placed
mention this fact and shall explain IL 70 show
you how far the mind has carried its Investigations By
strict Observance find that the figure Of the Earth
orbit Is slowly changing From year year find il
gradually opening cut and becoming nearly circular
The Moon being distub bed in its movement by the Sun
is not permitted u move completely under the nau
ence OF It's center the Earth, K would otherwise be
The Sun by It's attraction retsrds the Of the
Moon around the Earth but the Earth s gradually re-
moving from the sun, It's orb, grows more and
circular the Moon is carried farther and farther from
disturbing influence and being thus left under the
immediate control Of the Earth its motion is sccclera-
tod from year = year and from age 10 age But mark
the result The Moon in 5000 years has got in advance
OF its old place only about thirty ak times lie diameter
Minute this IT, Il has been detected It's origin and is
cause have been assigned, and we know II will 90 In
crcasng for thousands and thousands Of years. But
there is a limit 10 its scceerstion. That time viii be
when the Earth = orbit shall become exactly round
Then its pace will be retarded and the Earths orbit
begins TO grow eliptch, tho motion OF the Moon will
decrease. and thus oscilstng backward and forward
this mighty pendulum viii continue 20 strike the hours
Of eternity.
Having now reached the point Of showing 10 you the
character OF the Investigations which have been pur
sued with reference 10 own system, find the time
will not permit TO enlarge upon the subject pro.
coed al once then, TO the examination of the Solar sys
tenn, with view 10 introduce the discovery Of the
Planet We srs indebted 10 BoDE, of Berlin, for tho
discovery OF law which determines in very singular
the relative distances of the Planets He found
that by taking the series OF numbers
% o IL IA ~ 90 1879
and adding four 20 each term. making series of
10 16 90 80 100 1915
be had an exsc table Of the relative distances of the
Planets Our Earth Ia placed at TO- and the other old
Plans ranged Ia the order Of their distances sv
Ing the following result