The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-08-27

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Among the more recent discoveries within the
bounds Of our own syten, cannot omit to mention
those OF our distinguished country man, Mr. issess
OF Liverpool. BY means IT "a ~ ieet reflector con-
stIucted by himse H. h~ detected the satellite OF
Neptune, and more recently eighth satellite cir
culating round Sstun-a discovery which was
made on the very same day ny MIR. Bond, director
of the observatory Of Cambridge, IN the United
States. Mr. Lassels has still more recently. and
under singularly favorable state OF the atnos-
phere, observed the very minute, but extremely
black, shadow OF the rug 1t Saturn on the body Of
the planet. He observed the line OF shadow to be
notched, az IL were, aud almost broken up into q
hne of dots-thus indicating mountains upon the
plane OF the nng-nouatains, doubtless, raised BY
the same internal forces, aud answering the same
end those Of our own globe. In passing from
our solar system 10 the frontier Of the sidereal
universe around US, we traverse a gulf OF incon-
ceivable extent. IL represent the radius Of the
solar system, or OF Neptun,'s orbit (Which Is 200
millions ut miles) by line two miles long, the
interval between our system, OF the orbit of NeP-
tune, and the nearest liked star, will be greater
than the whole circumtrEence OF our gloDe-or
equal TO length Of "a 100 miles. The par illax Of
the nearest liked star beng supposed 10 be one
second, it's distance from the will be nearly
Az 80 tunes the RADIUS Of the earth's orbit OF
l3 TAG times that of Neptune, which Is 30 TINES az
for from the sun the earth. Aud yet TO that
distant zone has the genius OF traced the Gre
| ator's arm working ,ae wonders OF his power, and
dIfiusDg the quits OF hs Iove-the he at and light OF
| suns-the necessary elements ut physical and In
telectusl life. IL is by Of the gigannc tele-
scope Of Lord Rose that we have become ac-
qua,nted with the form aud character OF those great
sssemblages ut stars which c"n.pos. the sIdereal
univene. Drawings and descriptions OF the more
re variable Of these Geba9, resolved by this
noble instrument, were communicated by Dr.
Robinson ~ the last meeting Ut the association;
and u 10 with peculiar satisfaction hat | am
able to state, that many imponast discoveries
have BEEN made by Lord Ro.se and his as
siiant, Mr. Stonry, during the last year. In
many 1T the nebulx, the peculiarties OF structure
are very rrnarksbl-, and. as Lord Rose observes,
even TO ind cate the pr-srpce Of dynsm,cal
laws almost wthin our grasp" The spiral arrange
ment strongly developed ~ some of the nebulm
10 uacesble more or less distinctly ia m,ny; but
"moIe frequently" to use LORD Rosse'sown words,
''ihere rs nearer approach To Mud Of irregular,
Interrupted, snnuisI disiSsi,,on Of th- luanneus
mnteris than 20 the regularity observed IN ohcrs;'
but HIS lordshp IN OF op'n,on that those nebulm
symptoms Of very sim'l, r'nsure-seem more'or
lees perfectly and vsrioutly placed, with references
to the line VI sight In re.sx aiming the re-
nnrksbIe Of these objects, Lord Ross~ intsods To
view them with the fail light ~ bis six feet specu-
lum, undm'nished ny the s-cood reflection VI the
small mirror. by thus adopting what 10 allied tho
hoDt view, he will, doubtless, ~ he himself ex-
pects, ds cover many new r. tufes IN those inter-
estns sbJects ltisto tue inuhenc- OF Lord hos~e's
example that We indebled for the hue ncilrctnQ
telescope Of Mr.. Las, L., at which have already
spoken; and u IN to ~, alec, that We owe another
tsIescop~, which, though yet unknown tn science,
] sm bound In this place especially To- notice al
lude Ia The reflector recently constructed ny Mr.
James Nssaytb, a native ~ Edinburgh, (bW fos
many years psst, ~ the Bridge ~.tsr fosodry, Pa
uieroft.) nlrrsdy Distinguished by his mech saical
Inventions, and one Of a family well ksosn to us
all, and occupying q high place among he artists
ct Scotland. THIS instrument has ITS great -pccu-
Ium % iset in focal length, and 10 inches IN dls-
meter; hut ~ differs from all oth-r Telescopes IN the
remarkable facility with which u eau he used
Its tub moves vertically upcn hoilow truani"ns.
through which the ssfronomor, seated IN littie
observatory, with ,bly b"rizontsl mot,on, caa
view at his ease every par Ofths heavens Hrh-r-
10. The astronomer has b~en obliged -~nt HIM
sell II the upper end ~ his Ne~tonisn teI~-coy~;
and II no Other observer will sckno~lrdx- the
awt wsrdness aud insecurity ~ hts position, can
ms ~n 'ouch ioI us danger h.wnx tllrn from
The very TIP ~ Mr.. Rsm-g-'s - feet telescopes
whsn u vas directed to point not very Ear from
the zenith.