New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-12-29
NIGHT NOTES.

NIGHT NOTES.
THE COLD TERN.
Az we came up to the iron gate faint light in the
window of the little observatory said that the astron.
omer was at bis post The weather was bitterly cold
on the street. and inward monitor invited US to en-
ter; though grim enough was the promise of comfort
under the uncovered dome where the great telescope
Was housed. As we opened the door the astronomer
was gazing into the heavens through the magic tube
with absorbed attention. There WAS sound except
the loud and solemn tick tick tick tick Of the side
real clock, beating seconds, and with each stroke
Gin iron finger ON the dial pointed with quick and
steady jerk TO a division of tme-a new place OF
paration between the infinite Gone and the infinite
Coming, making one think, by it's incesaaDt and mex.
orable movement that the Now is not Present, but
oply Passing. An assistant stood before the clock
ready with paper and pencil in hand and eye fixed on
tie seconds ng5 Of the dial counting the seconds az
one BY one they fled away endless procession, ont
of the future into the past, filling up the measure of
the minutes.
"Timel called out the astronomer. The ASSISTANT
recorded the instant.
AarOnome,-Good evening, Sir. Yop see we are n
our routine work.
THE astronomer took his little lamp, snd mounting
teletcore.}
Reporter-W hat 10 that, Sir
A.troaoner-We are making observations every 6ne
night on the positions Of the asteroids. What Won just
heard me call of the reading as it ID technically
te. ned-the angle marked this graduated scale here
This angle denotes the precise direction Of the telescope
and in connection with the record Of the clock when
called time which the instant of the stsrs pas
sage completes what IL known as an observation"
P1orfer-Wbat is the value Of such observations1
dstronouer-They are, in the hands Of the mathe-
naticsn the basis of calculations which bring TO light
tie a. stem Of the planetary bodeetbeir places their
u otiona their Sizes and the beautiful harmony with
which they are adjusted TO each other. Without such
OF sery, tors there could he science Of astronomy
THE astronomer bad al his place at the telescope
for another observation, bad moved the instrument
into position and now, bis eye the little planet, in
diseeible without optical aid he called the assistants
attention by the signal ready" The assistant turned
TO the clock instantly and followed with keen eye the
thin steel finger of the dial il jerked from second
TO second The slow throbbing beat Of the great time.
monitor yyasaudible again in the silence time"
Tie "resding ia called off, the second observation"
is completely
As.'ononer-A glorious night!
Rczs1tey-But very cold. L should think you would
suffer here expofed 10 tho open air without any ire
As;yonomer.-These furs and woolens keep the
warmth in. The face and fingers ache sooetmes, but
we forget all that in the sublime spectacle spread out
before our eyes.
Pepo,Lr.-" Cold terms and /" bleated terms Ii
there any truth in tbese expressions, Sir :
4s,rozouer.-O, yes, applied 70 extraordinary
teuperaures and indeed it is great stretch OF m
ference 10 consider that there 10 throughout nature
recurring cycle of changes, long or short by which
every irresula1ty az say is compensated by some
counter irregularity. This law Of balances has been
detected on MAGNIFICENT scale in the mutual gravitave
play Of the planets upon smother alike IN The general
planetary syne, in the miniature systems OF the a.
tllces and in peighborinR bodies taken two and twoi
aud we may reasonably look for some corresponding
law Of compe nstionBome mutual balance OF excetoee
or ysrations-some ~ stem Of recurring cycles In ell
meteorological phenomena Indeed, meteoro4ogy
already enriched with some generSlzs;ions whnn
prouise 20 lead 70 the most unlookedfor and Insgnh
cent resus One Of these is the l0year period OF the
variations q the magnetic needle. IL was already
yell.lnown uat Gsneedle did not precisely point !"
the pole throughout the day. but was drawn out oil inc
,oerd;ap6rst on one eide and then on the other IN
;ol orr OSCILLATION This oscillation was seen 10 be Ia
coma ysv connected with The sun, since attained ts
usyin,m western or limit a, noon and midnight, and
II. eastern maximum or limit about STA O'Clock, morn
ing and evening. .
Willie talking, the astronomer bad moved tne 'e'e
scope into posi,icn again, and the requisite interval
having elapsed, now called out the warning signal
Al wac fill more, except the great clock which,
with i,s slow and solemn voice spoke its inexorao'e
% t;cki tick ticki tick." The assistant
waiohed the nervous finger Of the dial with eager ex'
peatop and ed his lips unconscousiy as he count
"a I, ,n;son with the seconds beat; " I'VE, ak,
seven. eight, nine, forty one, two-Iime "
The instant Is recorded. The planet IL caught again
The a, onomer inspects the hneygraduhied scale by
aid of his little lamp calls out the reading and re-
eunes bis narrative. \
In 1850 Professor Lamont Of Munich announced ula'
,bis ac,ndjurnl yaraticn was subject 10 another va
yation having period Of about 10 years that 70 say
there was found to be period Of greater durnai vara'
ton followed by period Of ess diurnn VARIATION amer
which the variation became greater again sud 'Dep 'ess