The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-07-10
FIRMAMENTkL MOTION.
Why Does Not the Comet Set2-
Apparent Course OF The North
EN- Consultations.

| SKY WaIus euppCs6 We Improve tn6 OC
cssion by Offering some explanation
of the behavior of the starry dome
That.the sun which rises shall set il
the heavens is q cardinal point in on
belief; We are pretty sure the Moor
follows the author of her keeping
being in this respect but keeping
strange hours, highly iuconsisten
witt the reputation of such chast'
lady. "She always wsnders 80, ,
that it needs. in tact, few years owe
our heads to arrive at sntisfactor!
con customs about her performances
IN which most OF us are not litt {
helped By the kind calendar. and by
tbe conviction of rural folk that oul
ssfety. and that of our crops, demand
that We keep sharp eye on her vag
aries. But with this knowledge o.
the heavenly motions, popular astron'
omy usually stops. What the stars
are abou'; whether they are the same
stars winter and summer; whether
tney rise and set and know their sp-
pointed bounds, few can declare,
Stars are, unfortunately for them,
not very useful to our terrestrial econ
omy, and in the long run We of this
kartn do not spend much time or
thought on matters that are not use
ful.
The stars do not all rise and SET
In the moth great many constel.
lations are perpetually above the
horizon. We will explain how this
can. be. Fancy yourself standing at
the Earth's pole, that ie, with your
hand on the axle of wheel or bali
that Is spinning and carrying you
around with it. Fancy an immoVab!e
dome over your head with bands of
bright colors psinted on it, bespan-
gled or frescoed with heroes and mon
sters. While you spin round, the
dome appears TO spin above you. All
know how this lie. With the sort of
conceit that belongs to our nature,
when we do anything We are apt to
think We have moved the universe,
and, in fact. appearances in this
matter of the heavenly bodies are
very much In favor OF such q conclu-
sion. The pictures on the dome then,
as you look upward. your feet firmly
fixed on the Earth's pole, seem slow
lS revolving around its centre, which
is directly over your head. There let
Us imagine a point OF brilliant light,
and this, you will observe, does not
move. The circles of spsngled crea-
lures seem to go round, as you have
seen the circles On a painted top 60
round, those near the pivot slowly, |
those farther down it's sides, faster
and faster. because they are larger
circles. This is tie appearance of
the heavens to q dweller at the
Earth's pole. The point over his
bead is motionless; around it in in
,reasinC circlee, the stars. the Moon
and the Sun appear TO swing in lines
parallel TO the edge of the sky, and
,be5ing. as it we're, a silent force that
Keeps them moving steadily around
his immovable: vacant point-tor it
s vacant-though near it is that
rien5ly guide, our Pole Star. They
neither rise nor set. The Sun rules
he sky for half the year, which, for
he remainder, is ''sown with stars
hick as q fell"
But We do not live at the pole; we
i've far down on the ball, and the
Polar Star is not above our heads.
Now, We will leave our axle, and
raVel slowly southwark. Keeping
n eye fixed above, We shall see the
tsrs at our centre change. Oar cen
re still remains overhead, and on all
ides the cobcaVe hemisphere dips
qually to the verge, the horizon;
his is because one pair of eyes sees
quslly far in all directions. The
'oint over my head is my centre, but :
ia only mine; each creature has his
wn horizon, bis own zenith, the {
7orld, the universe literally centres c
q himself. And now where is the :
'olsr Star? Dipped away from the c
entire of our heavens, just as far rs
1e have travelled away from our axle.
has dragged with il the bands OF '
iars still wheeling about it; their mo- I
ions are not disturbed by our jour S
eying. But those bands that swing t
round the horizon DOW have dipped i
Glow it's northern edge. Slip quick b
? down your painted ball, until you f
re at the middle, half way Down t
owards the opposite pole; your Pole g
tar follows (seems to follow. you OBJ {
erve, and rests at length IN the ho- E
ION. Now ali the stars that round I
burnett are circling still-setting, .!
on see-thst is, half of their revolr- !! -
on ia out of sight, BECAUSE thei: CEN .
g is on the edge OF the sky-Snd u
hose which were before revolving in 4
le horizon are nov revolving from f
ast to west, passing oVec head, bali @
leir circle in sight ealf out OF sight. l.
ut IL the night of II hours. the stars h
lat are close to the pole and those t;
lat are wheeling but once; and D n
ar that makes the shortest journey
1e that rises just east of the north
0lnt and Gets just west Of it's all Il
ight slowly performing t1is little D
urney, while another is. crossing the p
nd heavens Now you will step 6;
orthward again. Your north pole Il
ses from the horizon as you travel. ii
the stars nearest 10 it G.
LOsn stora nf tho iitflo ionar o;,oIos III