The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1854-11-22
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revelations OF the Telescopesair

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Revelations OF the TeIescopesais'
. The following is from the scientific work
soon to appear, called The Universe no Dsstys..
the Earth no Monopoly: t4's 80 9A' y
Such is the aspect OF clear nocturnal sty
to the unaided vision. Imposing ss Il is.,
and suggestive Of serious contemplation and,
reflections as it is, the speeticle may 81 ex-
pdnded indefinitely. Application Of thlt
magic instrument, the telescope displays q
more magnificent scene, one bewildering In,
its wide extent and brighter rays. Spark.
lets of night are now become dense snd num-
ero's clusters; cloudy ispeckS are spdcious !
felds of glory thickly sprinkled with spark
ling orb; or are a continued sheet Of lambent
flame wildly twisted into spiral masses; sim,
gle stars are separated into double and null
tiples scomponents, beautifed by variety of
color and depth Of tint. Some are seen re-
volying in duplicate and other, and still faf11
ther carried to such degree of cemplexityi
as almost to battle the searching analysis Of
mathematical investigation. 1898 I'll .I
Ncbule assume new shape, and becofrfS
more luminous. Instead Of the eight thous-.
ands stars observed by the naked eye in ali
directions, We now reckon our galaxy alons
to contain at least eighteen million. visible
through optical aid. Instead of one solitary
Milky Way we number some four thousand
nebula 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 be difused suns filing large orbital area.
Welikewise observe variable stars, increas-F
ing and diminishing their luster, and differ.
ing in periods of circulation. Indeed, the
depths of the heavens surpass the surface in
every particular Of wonder. 2& -
Even the modest members of our own sys.
TEN become augmented in Importance Sub
Unity shines through the telescope. Mer-
curry 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 phase, and the full,
occur to them in regular succession. Mars
present his gibbous disk. Jupiter discloses
his little .quarernion of satellites revolving
around spheroidal from encircled by re-
markable belts. Saturn's dull. leaden ap-
pearance ischanged into globe of burnsh-
ed silver. tarnshed only by its equatorial
belts, and surrounded by severl shining rings,
as we'll US Industrious company of revolving
moons. Uranus Neptune, and over thirty
usteroids--one for each State in the Ameri.
can Union--haye been dragged from their
obscure hiding places, and recognized as na-
tive members of our solar circle. Comets.
are followed far beyond our former termin-'
US OF visibility, as they fly off to their aphel.
ion extremes, and are caughtup, on their re-
turn, long before the natural eye discerns :
lucid film upon the armament. Our radiant
satellite is changed from sharp and slender,
crescent into an object with notched edges
rugged inequality, and ia margin glittering
with beads of light; while silvery plate, OF
circular form. soiled with dim spots, now ap4
pears perFectg globe. indented with vast cav
erns, and yariegated by lofty mountains and
bleeting precipices. The dazzling sun him.
self is found marked with spots of various
shapes, shades, and sizes, sometimes dining
his very effulgence. Even the motions Of
celestial bodies become distinctly percepti-
Bile, diagonalin their direction, thus portray
ing the irrelative and proper progress, and re-
vealing the real motion of cur own globe.
Rest is reduced to mere chimera ofimagin.
alton. The motion of fchange is universally
unacceptable. "
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