Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-07-24

of the eah the yapor always existing SO near its
surface, all magnied by the instrument not sufficient
TO prevent rich display of It's disc, half Illuminated and
much resembling the the quarter except dusly hue
which attributed TO the dense atmosphere of the planet
The view exceeded idea that had entertained of the
performance of the instrument but opportunity was
abridged by the necessity OF catching glimpse the moon
still the horizon and already yelling herself with c
The first object the lunar surface that my eye the
yawnng guilt Endymion, wide, Deep and dark the line of
illumination leaped from side, leaving fghtul gap between
The mountains generally stood in bold relief casting sha
dows black midnight indeed, the entire length of the
line dividing the light from the dark hemisphere, exhibited
mass OF ruin Of unspeakabe magnicence The clock work
hardly adjusted when the set Notwithstanding
the breviy of the opportunity and the obcuy of the oon
satisfied myself of the existence of the gray light spoken of
by Schroeder, indicating twilight only compatible with the
existence OF lunar atmosphere far favorable oppor-
tuniy probably hand and this mooted question will
be set at rest.
At later period the evening attention was directed to
test objects On previous evening the double star Gamma
Corona had been well separated with power of 100 The
separation of this is thought have been the high
est attainment Of Professor Strive with the Imperial instru
ment but divided by the Cambridge instrument with
out effort This star examined in 1882 by Sir j. Her
schel with his twenty feet reflector when he only saw
round disc without companion.
The point Of faint light ALSO Alpha Capricorn which
President Smyh says long baed his researches boldly
exhibited by the Cambridge instrument. Sir John Hersche
led to suppose that this object by reflected light
field of investigation which will be likely to escape the
| attention Of the Cambridge observers.
The companion Of Antaes though obscured by haze and
smoke was very conspicuous Sir j. Hersche, while the
Cape of Good Hope could not have missed for moment
he had turned his telescope upon it. nasmuch may be
detected under favorable circumstances in this latitude by
FIVE feet equatorial.
The telescope directed the close double star Eta
Corona Close indeed has been of late years. having
defiance most of the telescopes in the world 1t was
time test object for telescopes but has recently been
closed Nneverheless yielded power once and the
dark thread which separated could have measured more
than one-third of second.
The instrument next adjusted the annular nebula
between Beta and Gamma in the constellation of the Lyre
and the cock-work being applied opportunity afford
ed which had often craved for deliberate survey of an
object which with smaller and less powerful instruments had
deeply interested With ordinary instruments appears
to be ring wreath OF stars, being entirely vacant the
CENTRE not unlike what might suppose be the appear
ance of the Milky Way viewed whole at immense
distance. Seen through the Cambridge telescope, it is
longer ring, its centre is longer dark, but filled with
multitude Of small faint stars Lord Roses powerful efec-
tor represented the interior nebuous circumstance Of
which was not aware when Cambridge and hence did
speak of its resovabiy, but quite the individual
stars though faint, were distinctly
The double star 81 Cygn engaged our attention thus
honored only the rank it holds in the history of
science being memorable for the researches of Besse
whom 1t revealed It's paralax was struck, however, with
the small neat round disc of the individual stars giving add
ona evidence to that already obtained from their annual
on that distant they be by and modes of
4 measurement,
Search made for the double shot, or dumb
bell nebua it called, situated in the Foxs breast The
instrument set TO its position and appeared in the field
The director had scarcely applied his eye the telescope be-
fore he expressed the opinion that the nebua resolved
The assistant observer then called upon examine it,
and repeatedly said cit is resolved" then applied my
and found to consist of closely packed but of individual
stars am thus minute because this had been uniformly
numbered among the esolvable nebulG 1t first dis
covered by Meser many years snce and described by him
oval nebula without star The Earl Of Rose,
informed by the President of the Astronomical Society of
London, applied his powerful reflector to this object and
far say that " it exhibited symptoms of resova
blty but he did not resolve il, am aware that has
ever before yielded to the power of the telescope.
The next object OF scrutiny the delightful cluster in
Hercules This sort Of dessert TO the entertainment
the sweetmcat of the feast Well might Professor Ncho say
that no plate OF it gives fitting representation Of it. and
well might he add that for the first time
through telescope without ueng shout of wonder but
am that the professor to sec il himself
through the Cambridge instrument his aonshment would
be uRueQb No feature exhibited but its beauty
and billiancy greatly magniied
The beautiful star, pha LyU had reached the me-
dan and from its high northern decnaon much above
the mist of the atmosphere. With this take
leave of 'these life inusing of other worlds" When
the telescope adjusted to this STAR such its dazzling
brightness and thcky surrounded by telescope
panions, that the assistant astronomer shouted when it met
his eye The powers employed this occasion ranged from
$50 TO $50. The instrument furnished with eye pieces
magnying two thousand times.
Among the results which may be anticipated from this capt.
tai instrument is the detection of planets revolving about the
fixed stars and which strongly indicated by those faint
points Of white light minute stars, which cluster about
Alpha Lya of which counted twenty three and the sharper
eye of the assistant observer numbered hryve Constant
of these with high powers WILL it may be
denty expected distant day make known the motions
and laws of these wonderfully and complicated systems
! VIM. MITCHELL.
| NANTUCKET, ira MONTH 18TH, lS47.
Smyth's Cycle OF Celestial Objects page 37l.