The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1881-11-30

and the letter "On shows where the great
star is expected to appear"
Ip these days of metaphysical research,
when mems minds run riot on milenalism,
adventism, materialism, anagogism, and
host of other isms, whatever approxmates to
the mysterious or romantic, owing to the sus-
ceptibility of the mind of the unettered to
accept as truth whatever may emanate from
intellects somewhat more favorably cultured,
is seized upon with a credulity and belief de-
MED to the accurate deductions of the erudite
in science and philosophy OF such is the
above account of what the writer the Rev.
Robert Mckenzie, chooses to designate the
Star of Bethlehem, which article has been go
ing the round of newspapers and accepted
with its errors aud misrepresentation.
What is termed the Star of Bethlehem, was
the luminous light or meteor seen by the
wise men in the East, at the time of the birth
of Jesus Christ, supposed by some to be the
same Respondent light that shone around the
shepherds. This star, or meteor, ''guided
the wise men to Jerusalem and then with
drew but it again appeared when they got
without the city, took its station over the
very house where the child Jesus lay at Beth
Ienen, plots
and worshipped, and then finally disappear
ed" This was a supernatural appearance,
an express manifestation for an express pur-
pose. This star of 1852, which Mr.. Mckenzie
calls the Star of Bethlehem, cannot have any
connection with the meteor that guided the
wise men at the birth of the Saviour and re-
ferring back from the year 942 (here Mr..
Mex makes mistake--it should be 945)
does not indicate an appearance of this about
the time of the birth of Christ, and If so,
then this star is enormously called the Star of
Bethlehem.
The star of 1879, which Mr.. Mex. states is
s'now due and may at any time blaze forth in
all its brilliancy and celestial glory" in the
constellation Cassiopeia, will not, according
to the decisions of astronomical calculations,
appear before November, 1891 or 1892.
The following description of new stars,
copied from "The Sidereal Heavens" by
| Thomas Dick,,L. L. d., will be interesting
and instructive to the reader:
ON NEW STARS.
The first account we have of any changes
having been perceived among the stars is that
recorded by Hpparchus, of Rhodes, cele-
brated astronomer who fourished about 1910
years before the Christian era About this
period, this accurate observer of the heavens
perceived, in certain part of the armament,
a star which he had never observed before,
aud of which he could find no record in the
| q ~ Jao IL ;,h
this new and unexpected phenomenon, he be-
gan to doubt whether changes might not hap.
pen among the celestial orbs as well as in the
scene OF nature here below In order that
such changes when they happen might be
known to future generations, be began to
form a catalogue of all the stars visible in
that part of the world where he resided,
noting down the place and apparent magni-
tude of each star, till he at length completed
list of all the visible stars in the heavens
which was the first catalogue of those lumin-
aries of which we have any account in history
In the year 1870 after the Christian era,
another new star is said to have made its APP
pearance In the year $3.50, new star ap-
peared near Aquil@, or Affair, in the con-
stellation of the Eagle. Its appearance was
sudden it continued three weeks, emitting a
spendor equal to that of Venus and after
wards entirely disappeared. In the ninth
century, new star appeared in the fifteenth
degree of Scorpo, which is said to have
emitted as much light as is reflected from one
quarter of the moon. In 945, a new star APP
peared between the consultations of Cepheus
and Cassiopeia; and another, in 1854, near
the constellation Cassiopeia but of these
stars the accounts are so vague and imperfeci
that we can form no distinct conceptions o.
the phenomena they exhibited.
The most striking and wonderful phenom
enon of this kind of which we have an authen
tic and distinct description occurred in tb'
beginning of November, 1872, when new
star appeared in Cassopeia, forming nearly |
rhombus with the three largest stars Schedir
Caph, and Gamma, of that constellation. tt
appearance was sudden and brilliant Its phe
nomena were so striking that the sight of !
determined the celebrated Tycho Brahe t
u baoanoa an oetronomer He did not see