The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent. (Port Gibson, Claiborne Co., Miss.) 1848-18??, 1851-06-13
ASTRONOMICAL CLoCK. tflderssana

/ ASTRONOMICAL CLoCK.-We e understand
that curiousastronomica clock is at pre-
sent being constructed Ia the vicinity of
Liverpool, by z. Henderson, L. L. D.,
&C., from seres of very intricate calcu-
lus and complicated projections, which
has engrossed large share of his time
and attention since 1914. This clock,
when fnished,w completely throw into
the shade the celebrated "horologies" of
antiquity and dher clocks and planetaria
OF modern times. Hitherto such pieces
of mechanism have exhibited very Curl
Gus results, butthey have been inaccurate
IN their motions revolutions, and phenom-
ena; so much s., that, at the end of a year
or two, the machines gave out indications
very wide of the truth, and required to be
rectified. This, in great measure, arose
from the inaccuracy OF the calculations,
produced from wrong basis, and such
formula thrown into wheel-work. The
present clock will entirely obviate such
errors, as it is calculated so finely that in
many of the motions by the wheelwork il
will not err one minute in one thousand
years. These calculations, we under
stand, have received the unqualified APP
probation Of the leading scientific men
and astronomers Of the day, both in Bri-
tain and foreign countries, where the cal
culator is known. The clock will show
the minutes and hours of the day; the
suns place in the ecliptic; the day of the
month. perpetually, and take leap-year in
to account; the moons age, place, and
phases; the apparent diurnal revolution of
the moon; the ebb and flow of the sea al
any port in the world; the golden number,
epact, solar cycle, Roman indiction, Sun
day letter, and Julian period: the mean
time of the rising and setting Of the sun
on every day of the year, with its terms
and fixed and movable feasts. The day
of the week will also he indicated, and the
year will be registered for 100000 years,
past or to come. The quickest moving
wheel will revove in one minute, the
slowest in 10000 years for the date. To
show the very great accuracy of the mo-
tions in this complicated clock, a few OF
the periods may be noted-namely, the
apparent diurnal revolution of the moon
is accomplished in "a hours so minules
% seconds, and 379,SSS, 1868 decimals Of
a second, which makes an error Of one
minute too fast. at the end of 1,470 years.
The stars will make revolution in %
hours So mlnntes 4 seconds and 09,0S7,-
2S4 decimals of second, which gives an
error of one minute too slow at the termin
alton of 5s9a years. The synodical rev.
olution o. the mooon is done by the wheels
in % days IL hours "A minutes and 2 Sc
conds and S73, ,544, ,2SS decimals of Sc
cond, and this will give an error Of one
minute fast in I,167 years. The sidereal
year is done in eG5 days 6 hours Q min.
utes IL seconds and 53.322, ,496 decimals
of second, which will make an error Of
one minute slow in 1906 years. The
other astronomical motions are too numer-
GUS for detail here, but they all bear the
same stamp Of accuracy. The clock will
go 100 years without requiring to be
wound up, which is unequalled in horolo-
gical science. The clock will contain
about ITO wheels and pinions, and up
wards of 800 distinct pieces. 1t has been
constructed for, and space been given for
the clock at, the great exhibition, and we
understand that if possible it will appear
in that gorgeous edi6ce.-LiUerpoOl Al
bi0n.