The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1849-04-24

the fidelity Of lkat observer, and by means
of his CATALOGUE. we are enabled 10 know al
oncs what Otherwise we should have had TO
Wi, fifty year, 10 learn. But for that obser-
v,,io,, Of I.alapde, astronomers would have
had N r-ai; half century for data 10 enable
them 10 determine the orbit of that planet as
accurately as Mr. Walker, formerly All assist
ant a, the National Observatory, has done IN
consequence Of the discovery there.
Perhaps the most exquisitely beautiful OBJ
iects in the heavens. are the double stars,
with their contrast Of colours. When the
telescope is turned upon these objects, The
most richly coored orange star may be seen
dancing along with its companion of bright
green, or small blue. They are arranged in
pairs or groups, with their comPonents diver
sified with almost all the colprs Of the rain
bow.
Il was alosg time question whether these
sers were really double, or only OFFICIALLY so.
Ii was thought they appeared double, only
because ihey happened 10 be situated nearly
in the same direction; thai one was placed
nj an infinite distance beyond the other. IL
wac said, therefore, that they appeared opti-
caiiy near each other only, Iike lamps nfar
of in diu X night, which, though al great
distance apnui, appear close together TO one
VINO sees them nearly in The same straight
line.
The stars are SO remote from us, that
snail might travel al his usual gait many times
around the earth, before that type of vcloc-
ity with US, cannon ball, could reach the
nearest OF them. How then could it ever
be ascertained whether they were physically
double, OF only OFFICIALLY 80?
Catalogues and the resources oil science
have enabled astronomers 10 settle The ques-
lion.
If while looking at the leaves on the trees
Of forest hold up a dime al certain dis
rance before me- | will ST; that II hides cer>
tain leaves. If now hold dollar at the
same place, will find that the additional
leaves hid bv il, will exceed, many times IN
number Tie first, because tho leaves are sill
ualed one beyond the other. They are op.
tically close together; and The additional
space optically hid by the dollar is much
larger than Tint hid only by the dime.
Now apply this test 10 the double siars.-
Take the space in the heavens about each
star, thu, would be hid by pins head when
held at a convenient distance Tor vision, and
count Tie stars that would be included within
The srare SO hid. Now hold half dime Al the
same distance from the eye, and count the
additional stars hid bv it.
The first will be found 10 exceed The last
in numbers many times. Thus the proba-
billy was established that these Stars were
~ physical and moi in mere opIiral conCec
ton. The Telescope was now brought 10
bear. Observations were made and record
ed in Catalogues, and, after The lapse oil
years, it was discovered that mnny Of thcse
stars were suns actually revolving about each
other.
Thus systems in which there are many suns
AMI the most complicated motions have been
detected. IL some, one sun reyolves about
another. IT. others, one pair of suns is seen
revolving about each other, and they two a.
round another pair Some have suns Of sap
phire blue, emerald green, orange yellow, or
flaming red And there, instead Of having
the alterations Of light and darkness as we
have here, it may be supposed that their days
and nights alternate with blue, green, red or
yellow light according TO the color OF toe sun
which NAV be in the ascendant.
Perhaps of all the objects in the sky, the
Nebulae are the most wonderful and mysteri-
Gus. We may trace them up through the tel
escope from shapes the most fahtastical TO
forms the most symmetrical and graceful. They
are beyond the reach of the unaided eve. But
with the telescope turned in certain dircc-
ton, we may see a mere sploch of curious
light, presenting Nebula without form, and
apparently void with the telescope in an
other direction, we will see them beginning 10
assume regularity of outline, with marks of
aggregation and condensation, as though they
were in process Of formation and teese sever
al shapes were merely the ncbuous stuff in
different stages Of growth. Some have The
graceful ronvnlutous of the smoke curl L.
some are spiral are rent in pieces as
though they were curdling into more dense az
gre. cations of matter; these leave black rents
In the sky, through which stars are often seen
TO peep out from the darkness apparently at
an immense distance beyond. Following them
on, we trace them up into the circular form,
with marks of condensation about the centre :;
then comes the slobular appearance, with a
decided nucleus and finally, we come acioss
the perfectly formed star, surrounded with a
;hin haze of ncbuious matter, as though IT had
not yet all been quite condensed INTO the shin
ing substance of the star.
By means of catalogues, it has been discoy-
cred that the stars in a certain quarter of the
heavens are getting OFFICIALLY closer and closer
together, while those in an opposite quarter
are apparently separating from each other and
getting wider apart, precisely in the same way
As though we were receding from the one set
and approaching the other.
This, therefore. sugs estcd the idea, that our
system itself might be moving in obedience to
the influences of some vast center of revolu-
ton in the remote regions of space. And it
has recently been shown, with such reriamH-
fucis as to throw the onus OF proof upon those
who DENY the conclusion that the sun with
its splendid retinue of planets, satellites and
comets is in motion about center nconceiva-
bly, remote that though We are moving about
it at the rate of many millions of miles in
year. the period Is so immense, the distance
from the center to the circumference of the
orbit 50 great, as 10 require myriads and myr-
lads Of ages 10 complete revolution Ind
that center is IN tie direction Of tie star Hey
on, ONE OF THE PLEIADEs. Who, therefore,
can " bind those sweet influences" which guide
the sun and moon and earth through the
trackless regions of space, and hold them SO
they fall not?
To me the simple passage through the Tran
sit instrument Of star across the meridian is