New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-03-19
80 100 I06

AZ will be seen in the table, there found 10 be
nievs between the orbits Of Mars and Jupiter the law
wss brokep-there no Planet 70 I'll up the spsce
The idea occurred that there be Planet revolving
within the orbits Of these two planets and Astronomers
watching eagerly for any phenomenon that might
present itself In that part of the Heavens 1t hap
peDed that the beginning Of the century and the
very frst day OF the century, Pazz Of Palermo finds
entering that portion OF the Heavens object that ought
not 70 be there bis charts II had the appear
OF fixed star, but By ifs motions II ought TO be
Planet Fer forty days be followed II up noting It's posi-
ton night after night till finally sufficient number Of
observations obtained enable him to determine
the limis of s orbt-snd hohnld il filed the space in
tue extraordinary series completing and making per
feet scale from beginning to end will but advert 10
the other discoveries In few years smother body
added and then another and then fourth making four
small planets between Mars and Jupiter. Il was be
lievod that there would never be another found II
seemed that the whole Heavens had been explored and
90 thoroughly that object could have escaped the
scrutiny But the 18Th Of December le45 We md II
announced by ENcKE Of Drossen, in Germany that be
had added a eth 10 the number and now we have
five small planets revolving between Mars and Jupiter
The system being now complete, so ont at once by
of this series to the most distant OF al me old
Planetsthe Planet saturn Before the close Of the last
century II was noticed that there appeared TO be some
disturbing influence exerted upon this Planet was
found that ii was in its motions was irregu
lar tnd its irregularities were induced by influences y
ing possibly upon the exterior OF the orbit OF the Plan
ct But no mld was found bold enough 10 enter into
an investigation OF the causes OF hese phenomens ~
that day IN l7el fortunate accident revealed the
csuse. Sir WIN HERscHEL hnds new Comet But
when the mathematician takes up his apparatus ard ex
anes H. he nds that this Comet is In fact no Comet
but Planet He finds that the object which HEAscHsI
had revea 10 the eye large Planet Tar distant
from the sun This seemed 20 be the las; link IN the
mighty chain thai Science had been 90 long forging u
seemed 10 be impossible 20 reach beyond ms nt Tor
this star OF planet IL visible without the aid OF Tel
escope il s 100000 miles from the central sun Ia
little time 1t was found that this planet had already
been seen years before II found that the old As
tronomers had remarked H. but had believed II 70 be
fxed star This gave great advantages TO the modern
Astronomers for they found II possible TO avail them
selves OF the computations OF the ancents IN tneH 'es
trai,ons lts movements were watched, and u was
found utterly impossible 70 reconcile the old ooserva
tons with the new ones. In lIel, BoUvARp french
Astronomer turns his attention 10 the subject he
finds impossible 10 reconcile the new with old compu'
tAous and IL Ia impossible for him 10 settle whether the
discrepancy grows out of the imPeriecon OF the nsu
the action Of some unknown force In the heav
enc Al length he said L will reject the old will
adopt the new viii compute the elements OF this plan
ct and compute the tables by which shall be guided
These tables computed but IN a lew Years we md
the computed and the observed places OF The fanet
again disagreeng. The Planet getting in advance
OF its computed plsce-ii was getting farther from the
sun than II on at 10 be
serving with great accuracy the fluctuations Of this
Planet and after attempting the influence OF every force
that could be brought 10 bear upon s movements be
found that the planet had Increased ia distance from
The sun twice the distance Of the Moon from the Earth
What power there concealed In the vast depths Of
space that could exert such 81 innaence over THIS
Flsneti
For long tine no mind dared TO touch the problem.
Atlensth young Astronomer rises, unknown to fame,
but with mind capable OF grasping ali the dhcultes
involved any OF these questions refer OF course 70
LEyERRIER lie began BY taking up the movements Of
Mercury He dissatisfied With the Old computations
and the cid tables and he ventured 10 begin sne~ and
10 compute entirely new set OF tables With these
new tables be predicted the eese iassHi hen the plan
Mercury, the 18th OF May ls49 would touch the
sun and sweep across H. The time rolls round when
the Planet is be and his prediction vernsd OF
tad he
the clouds let down thsir dark curtains and veil
the sun from bis sight Our own Observatory
had lust been flashed and II the audience will
permit will state briefly my observations upon
the Planet had ten long years been tOilus. had
commenced what appeared 70 hopeless enterprise -
But Hnaly saw the building fnished-lssw this mighty
Telescope erected--I had adjusted II with my
hands, had computed the precise time when the Planet
would come with ths suns disk. and the pre-
else point where the contact would take place but
when Is remembered that only about The houssndh
par. Of the suns disk enters upon the ned OF the lee
scope The importance Of directing The instrument u the
risht point will be realized Fve minutes before the
computed time OF the contact took my place At the
instrument, The beautiful machinery that carries TIE
Telescope with the sun was set IN motor and the In
strument directed that part Of The suns DIX which
IL anticipated the contact would take place. And
there sat with feelings which no one IN this audience
can realize. IL my first effort All hsd been done
by ruyself After remaining there for what seemed 70
be long h0urs Inquired OF my assistant how much ong
or would have 10 walt WA answered fo.r zfErtes
KEEP, ny place for whsi seemed Al age and sssn IN
cured a. before he told me that bat one minute had
rolled by Il seemed a. II Time hsd folded his wings
40 SLOWLY did the moments crawl on. watched on u
VS. ia TIA, but one minute remained and within six
teen seconds of the time hsd he kncst osWldering
eradication of seeing the Psres break me corsc Hnc
slowly On Ill Il buried Itself round ana deep AAd
sharp IN the Sun. 80
refer 70 this fact for two hrst 10 verify
LxvEnAfxR and second 70 impress uPon your mncsihe
desrsSensss Of locating our ooservAiories iH oisfen
parts Of the earth No European astronomer could hsve
made this observstOn because In their longces TIE