New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-12-06
NEW-YORK TRIBUNE.
ASTRONOMY.


R,ported for The T,iBuns6y Nm Boz, Ph'HogTopier
History Of the Developments Of Astronomical Science with
refereuee 10 the Moon. The Waxing anc "anng 81
he Moon II. Change OF Position IN the Heavens The
second Grand Discovery Of the Movement OF the snn.-
First Discovery Of Planet -Discoyere5 unknown.. =
The Causes Of an Eclipse OF the sun and Method OF Cal
cuiatins It's The Individual who FIRST Predicted
Moon . The Figure Of the Earth revealed 10 the Early
.Ftronomeu nausnce OF the Moon on Civilization
a. The old Greek Theory Of the Solar System 1.-The
Coornican Theory. The First Difficulty, according o.
this Theory Of Locating the Moon Its Solution KEEP
lefs Discovery Of the Laws Of Planetary Motion.
Newtons Discovery OF the Law Of Attracuon-Mannef
Of Determining thst Law-Dihculties Newton had 70
Encounter from Want Of True Ddts-Dscoyefy OF the
Of his Eor and Influence Of his Discovery upon
ms Mind.
LADIES AND GEETLEMEE: 1t has been my for
tune to appear before public assembly IN this
CITY eleven times in the course OF my life, and on
eight of those occasions have been greeted by ex
actly such inclement weather as we have tonight.
There seems to be some fatality attending my
coming here and fear, il it goes on much longer
YOU will come 10 the conclusion that had better
always stay at home.
i have before stated the fact that the Science OF
Astronomy has furnished TO the human intellect the
widest and noblest field for its efforts. As my
Course of Lectures will be necessarily short, /
shall embrace the whole range of the Science and
accomplish as much in this Course asis possible -
propose therefore, TO direct your attention to spe-
cifo objects. Follow then tonight If you
please, through the History of the Developments OF
Discoveries made with reference to our nearest
neighbor-the Moos.
The early history of Science we know is lost
We may trace back the record Of its movements
until we see that there was a Science of Astronomy
anterior to the earliest date which History can
reach We may then take up Tradtion-stepPing
still farther back--and there again stop end
ponder upon the fact that there was a Science of
Astronomy anterior even to Tradition. Thus we
are lost in the obscurity of past Time, and having
nothing more to guide us upon which we can rely,
we must resort to Speculation. But let 1t be re
mcmbered that this speculation is Of such charac-
ter that it is absolute certainty and ii 1t be proper
y conducted il will lead to results entirely reia-
bic / shall be obliged then, to begin with Specu-
lation.
In turning the eye to the heavens, the strong
probability is that the very first astronomical obser
yations made upon any moving body were those
made upon the Moon This attracted the wondering
gaze of every eve, its curious and extraordinary
so different from those of any other heavenly body.
While the Sun was ever bright and round-while
the other planets always shone with a serene and
steady light-whic the fixed stars shed forth the
same unyarying degree of splcndor year after year
il was found that the Moon was constantly chang
ing On one evening IL was observed to be the
slender silver crescent close beside the Sun; II
was watched from night to night, recedng from a
line with the Sun, and increasing IN brllllancy,
ill., finally, II was found to rise In the East IN iuii
orb while the Sun was sinking In the West linen,
AS the nights rolled on the light was discovered to
decrease until when 1t again came round IN con
junction with the Sun it had entirely disappeared
These changes were doubtlessy the first observed.
But there was another point which early attract
ed the attention Of man. When the grouping oil
the stars in the heavens had first been made-when
twas seen that they held invariabe relative posi-
tons to each other the next point was TO watch
and see If the Moon held its place among the stars.
Here arose most wonderful discovery The
MooA did not hold its place among them what
did il dol Ii was found, IN the next place, to be
moving contrary to the motion oil all the heavenly
bodies which Appeared 10 make regular durnal TO
,ations The Moon was heaying upward, while at
the same time it had general diurnal notion
Here was the first discovery ever made with re-
gard to the Movements OF the Heavenly Bodies
Fora long time 1t must have been a matter OF
rerplexity whether this motion Of the Moon was
sdercsl heavens were sweeping past the Moon
How was it possible 10 determine this question :
If they had only this object 10 examine and no
other moving bodies were found, then wouldlt nave
been impossible to have settled the question
whether this motion actually belonged 10 this OBJ
iect alone, or whether the whole Sphere OF stars
wheeled round more rapidly than the Moon.
But after a little while they found that the Sun
IN like manner partoOk OF a similar motion. They
watched the setting Sun. How many OF us have
49,.
saw certain bright stars FIRST making their appear
ance apparently near the Sun, as 1t sunk TO rest.
Night after night they watched aud found to their
astonishment that these broad groups of stars
coming downward to meet the Sun, and at every
successive day they were nearer and nearer that
luminarv The Sun is hesving upward, said they,
t. meet the stars, as they are sinking down under
the horizon and inasmuch as this phenomenon did
not dier from that Of the Moon it settled the ques
ton AT once aud for ever, that this motion OF the
Neon and the Sun was really in no sense belonging
to the heavenly bodies among which they appeared
to be located Here then was second grand DIS
covery-the Movement o; the Sun.
But as they continued these examinations they
had occasion to refer the Sun TO q very brilliant
beautiful star. that found TO be visible to then
after the Suns setting. This was regarded as
liked star among the rest but, by continuous eA
animation, it was found this star moving down
ward TO meet the san. Ii did not hold its place
among the rest What could be the meaning o.
this He who first liked his eye comprehendingy
upon this object how intense must have been his
emotions What is this, hitherto regarded
fixed start He watches II till finally it is lost in
the spleudor of the Sun. What now Ii has been
found that all the bright stars among which the Sur
appears move upward in the East In the morning
ias, before the Sun rises Might il not be that thin
star will pass BY the Sun and make It's appearance
in ike Inanneri We can imagine this individual
morning after morning, with his gaze iSed on tn'
eastern sky, watching the resPPearance OF MS los
star At length il is found there It Is, on the o'no
side Of the SUM
Here, then, is the first discovery ever made Of
planet by the human eye. Who discovered u :
Alas his name-his country. is for ever lost bu
we know this 10 have been the process. hevin.
found one OF these moving bodies, 1t was not dihcol
to find others But it is unnecessary 70 so into al
explanation Of the manner in which other planets
were discovered, and viii revert to the Moon
Up 10 this time no explanations OF the changes o
the Moon were dvined-it was impossible to divine
them
Another phenomenon more wonderful, more ter
n6c than all, now came to impress itsen upon tns
niad and wake up its energies; II was the exhibi
ton of a Solar Eclipse No eve even al this day