New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-02-03

ouence of our thorough know ledge, not only OF the
reality Of Grav.a,ion, but OF the precise mode oil
its de pendence on the magnitude and distance oil
the bodies exercising its pOwer-there Is now no
rom within the range OF such inquiry, for chance
or .la-ation for rggneness. % reach the liked and
definite conclusion in regard of any point 20 which
inquiry is directed. needs sku diOHe-Ihls hypo-
thesis OF a successful search Tor an Opaque and IN
visible Jupiter, is not however merely an iustra,
tive one: IL is, on the contrary the equivalent OF
many nvastigations that are far from strange IN
Astronomy. For instance. we read IN works on
that sciencc-often indeed TO the marvel OF those
who know not our technical proceedungs-oi the
WEIGHTS of the several Planets which are spoken
of with as little hesitation as II they had oeen
weighed in our terrestrial balances. NOW hese
are deduced in this wise a planet beng disturbed
bv its ueirbbors its movements are watched and
scrutinized while the DETECTING bodies occupy
with respect 10 it all rdrlciy Of positions The ei
feet due 10 each is thus separated from the total
effect; and from the amount OF lts influence the
mass or weight Of each planet IS inferred nay
speakipg more generally, this process OF determln'
ing important physical attributes OF these oros' oy
Inference from their attractive influences has con
sttuted the principal branch OF ply sical Astronomy
| from NgwrOSs time until ourOwn. shall dwell
in illustration on the lights thus obtained REGARDING
/ the share of our own Earth That BODY IKE All
| globes IN rotation, IS spherod hatteneI at tno
poles or bullying out-as II into an attached ring
| At the equator The determination of the precise
shape of the Earth. being Of consummste conse'
! oueuce TO geographical science, several OF the
| greatest OF our European States have instituted
| vast triangu atons-s0me oil them IN remoIe re-
gions-that by the sure methods OF the surveyor
| this character of our globe might be defined he
! snlts Of hieh accuracy have undoubtedly been
reached by such labors; bat with al their mpor'
lance they are not superior TO Intelligence when
onthe same subject has reached us from the Noon:
| The motions OF that orb are not what tney "ouu
ftrfoN ~
| be- had the L arth been pcrfect sphere. certain
deviatiops are caused by the influence OF our equa
/ ,o,ioI n,otuberancs: aud these deviatons-meas
! ured bv our modern instruments whose precision
approaches 20 the marvellous-enebles US by In
! verse reasoning. % determine, with und0ubted eN
actness how far the Earth deyates rom reg1ia
globe. It is certainly unnecessary TO accuuui ats
illustrations OF point concerning which the who'
modern history of Astronomy is most rich and EN-
phatc; let me conclude, therefore, with an aliuslOf
10 that recent grand generalization oi the deeply
,ameuted BFssEL, which has unOlded the proOaDl
ity of Opaque orbs large as these spangNng suns
revolving with a Sirius or Procyon around some
common center; thus appalling eur Inauguration
already bewidered amid the excess OF visible
glories, by the unex pected and Overwhelming idea
that the objects which light reveals may after all
constitute but class or one specla thoughs pen
did scheme amid this prouslon ot created magnl
fcence Great applsuse.l
The method of this discovery Of BEssEL s-on'
| Of the most rcTnarhADic Ol iholCth oHH ~
reasoning on which it reposes, are too remarkable
IN be permitted 10 escape with transient notice
Every star in the Heavsns, II is known. has an ap
narent uroper motion :-ssmetlmes that motion be
ing altogether apparent, and IN other cases real
While studying, with his usual care and sagaclty
the changes OF place exhibited through a long sc
IS ~ years by SIRIUS and PRoCYOS, Bessel saw
that they evinced real proper motion OF very
singnlar description In both cases the Star OscIL
r1TEs-that is il moves backward and ierwar'
liz a nendulum Like NEwTOs OF old, BEssEi
marked this as an unnatural moti0n-one opposed
10 every known principle IN mechanics MS mrs
inference then, was, that the oscllating motion IS
in reality a motion in circle, or other curyllnea
path turned nearly edgerdys toward US ana mere
lore taking on the appearance OF an 0sc"iatto"
Rat the investigation could not stop mere Al tn'
nsth ia curyilinear-that must be owing to a con
fiqnOns dSfecfing force, as NEWTON held In regar'
ofthe Planets: and since no Body IS visible aroun'
which either Sirius or Procyon can De supposed y
reyove the conclusion is that the seat OF this gfea
attractive influence is Opaque-concealed iore'e
from the sense division. The inference so ogica
thar we NAV not repudiate IL Surely however, II Il
most Notwithstanding the strange Intelligence
that those brilliant orbs are, after all out one cas-
or species amid the luxurance oil CreaIlon zap
plause 81,
Tins. then Ladies and Gentlemen, have con
Guided my exposition Of the plan, mechanism an'
governing laws Of our great Planetary system pre-
hminary 70 the unfolding OF the process by wnicn
mighty world was evoked from the boundless con
ices Of SPACE. Il has occupied longer than an
ticipated out if have been apprehended' VIVA
follows will be easily understood
The researches Of Physical Astronomy, conduct
"a with regard 10 the problems | have attempted Z
describe. were rapidly periectlng oar knowledge
the Planetary system. when IN the year lIol, TN
illustrious Herschel altered our conceptions Oh IL
extent by the accidental discovery OF the ofo ina
for some time bore bis name. but which Is now unl
VERBALLY recognized, by the more congruous eppe
lation of Uranus. | say accidental Tor II was o
| rns,a chance that ranus was discovered. Herscne
With bis immense telescope had been examinln
| the Heavens for many nights when 70 nis grsa
surpri,e be beheld one evening an orb having dis'
Nox oar fixed Stars have no discs, that Is the
have no surface that is measurable. They are $
| -sn,ote ,ha. when viewed through the most po" e.
f,l,slescopes they present nothing bo. mere luci
point SO Herschel az once determined tsat tnls or
roaId no, be fixed Star. He noted its place IN IN
/ Heavens and on the next favorable nIgnI ne Ok
/ served il again, when 10. II had moved iloA J.!
former position BE then concluded Il was come
! and bis first papers IN relation 70 i were Gale
/ apaners on the discovery OF a new Comet Bc
noon be,towins upon the mysterious stranger
800 searching examination be soon dHcerned M
itvss not Comet bat a Plane. farther ava
than Saturn revolving round our Sun and oelongln
, toour system Now perhaps 1t viii at once occI
? 70 YOU, Why mad not the existence OF flenet o.
vo1d the orbit Of Saturn been suspected before To
! Accidental discovery OF Herscheii II al nav
bss1 saving about Jupiter be correct, why did n
Astrunorners ascertain that there were motions nS
turn and Jupi.e, that could no, be accounted ior e.
cent by the fact that there must have been Plsn'
beyond Saturni flour acquaintance with toe yalo'
,,c-;ons Of Jupiter aud Sa.urn-the two Pane
, chiefly within reach Of the influence OF VI anus