The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-11-21
Revelations of the Telescope.

Revelations of the Telescope.
The following is from the scientific work,
soon to appear, called the Universe no Desert,
tie Earth no Monopoly: 80 y. -.
Such is the aspect of a, clear noctHrnsl sky
to the nnaded vision. Imposing as it is, and
suggestive of serious contemplation and rehec-
tions as it is, the spectacle may lie expanded
indefinitely. Application Of that magic instru-
ment, the telescope, displays moro magnif-
cent scene, one bewdering in its wide extent
and brighter rays; Sparklets Of night.are now
become dense and numerous clusters;f cloudy
specks are spacious fields Of glory; thickly
sprinkled with sparkling orbs; or are a contn-
ued sheet Of lambent fame wildly twisted into
spiral masses; single stars are separated into
double and multiple components, beautifed by
q variety ofcolor and depth Of tint. Some
are seen revolving in duplicate and Others in
triplcate, around each other, and still farther
carried to such degree of complexity as almost
to battle the searching anal lysis of mathemati-
cal investigation. Nebule assume new, shapes,
and become more luminous. Instead of the
eight thousand stars observed by the naked eye
in all directions, we now reckon our galaxy
alone to contain at least eighteen million, visi-
BILE through opticle aid. Instead ofone solita.
ry Milky Way, we number some four thousand
nebule, unseen except by the telescope eye,
and many of them estimated equal to our own
in magnitude. There is also variety in these
luminous tracts, some even seeming to De diff
fused suns filling large orbital area. We
likewise observe variable stars, increasing and
diminishing their lustre, and differing in periods
of.circulation. Indeed, ,ahe depths Of the hea.
vens surpass the surface in every particular Of
wonder. - =. - -. - -:.,.s-.,s:
Even the modest members of our own sys.
tenn become augmented in Importance. Sub
Unity shines through the telescope Mercury
and Venus are found to pass through all the
lunar phases to our assisted vision, as we do to
the outer planets--the crescent, the half moon,
the gibbous whase, and the full, occur to them
in regular succession. Mars presents his glib
bous disk. Jupiter dscloses his little qnater:
Mon of satellites revolving around spherodial
form encircled by remarkable belts. saturn's
dull, leaden appearance is changed into globe
of FURNISHED silver, tarnished only by its eqaa.
torial belts, and surrounded by several shining
rings, as well as an industrious company ofre
voIving moons. Uranus, Neptune, and over
thirty asteriods--one for each State in the
American Union--have been dragged from
their obscure hiding places, and recognised as
native members of our solar circle. Comets
are followed far beyond our former terminus Of
visibility, as they fly off TO their aphelion ex-
tremes, and are caught up, on their return long
before the natural eye dscerns lucid film
upon the armament. Our radiant satellite is
changed from sharp and slender crescent into
an object with notched edges, rugged inequali.,
ty, and a margin glittering with beads of light;
while silvery plate of circular form, soiIed
with dim spots, now appears perfect globe
indented with vast caverns, and variegated by
lofty mountains and beetling precipces. The
dazzling sun himselfis found marked with spots
of various shapes, shades and sizes, sometimes
dimming his -vsyy efulgenee. Even the mo-
tions of the celestial bodies become distinctly
perceptib1e, diagonal in their directions, thus
portraying their relative and proper progress,
and revealing the real motion of our own globe.
Res; is reduced to mere chimera of iuagiua-
ton. Matter knows no such predicament.-
The motion of change is universally unexcep-
.tionable. 3s...... 49,. .,....,g1-.
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