Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-02-22
The Picket Line OF Science.

| uO SQltuSUuldu luStltuGiJu3 w hShluRlUu.
| has COLL d ststisiisilcts cotcernins the pro-
| er,ss of astronomy 10 The Uuted States, which
| are published 10 40 Interesting report. In the
| tall OF 1870 circulars Wete scattered over the
couolry. requesting professional and amateur
slEoncm.rs TO seud to Washington brisf ac
counts OF their lnStrlI0ents aud their oG5a-Vs-
| Il1ns. Replies W.re rec lVed from tur,y-ooe
0bservalorles, OF Which twenty four are pllvaie,
| and the others are Connected With colleges or
| academies Several of The observers have
| oonstrucsed lh.ir own tel~sc pes. ard msuy
| hHVe made their observatiors from doCr ysrGs.
windows and roofs The story OF their lxpe-
rieuces is all toe more Interesting 90 that ac
count.
Many Of ihe most important discoveries 10
the heavens have been made by observers who
hid to deprive then s.Ves OF ueeded sleep, aud
to work without any of the costly equipments
of sn observatory. This report shows that the
| astronomers of the door yard snd the roof havo
fairly kept pace with those WAC m, k, their
observations seated in the PADDED chains of the
big ob,erva.ories. They may comfort them.
| selves wioh the recollection that William Hers
ohePs observatory vas bis gafdos.
The various oil :cts cho len for special obser-
Vatlon indicate the direction in Wnlch the
| science is being chiefly developed. This is uu-
| Distakgbly toward the practic, side. thus
fifteen OF the tory one ots rvcrs have giVeo
special attention to the determination of ex.
act time. This is q matter of The first impor,.
! aoce. tor what Edward Everett callod the eter.
| nal olockVoik OF the skies is tho source of all
OUT calculations that depead upon lhs lapse OF
| time. Tbirjesu OF the observers have devoted
| themselves specially to the study ef the suo.-
| Rsc.Dt observations tend more and mere to
| prove that the sun Influences the earih's wealth.
er, aud that when the Causes that produce SUI
spots are most sotve,the Garth is su jsct 10 the
| most violent mete oro!ogcsl dslurbsDcss
Twelve observers have spent most of their
time 10 watchdog TOR comets. These selt,ap.
pointed s-ntineIs are by 90 N :ans to be regard
ed as mere curiosity huoters. Astronomers ad
| NIT that the earth may be i1 danger from
| comets. Ii one should fall into the SUD it
would. iu all probability, produc, such sn cut
burst OF heat as 10 destroy every living thing
| oD the earth.
The comet Of 1850 was aimed 60 close to the
sun that even New.Un feared it would strike il.
The great c9met Of lS43 went yet closer. In
| fact, rs gr z!d the SUI. and the great sun spot
| that Appeared 10 that yesr is believed TO havs
| been caused by the fall of an enormous me.eoric
| mass following iu the track OF the comet. Il
has also been suggested that the ou' burst Of
| light ln the SUI on September |, 1859, which
was tcc cc)npanlsd by an ell, c:to shcck Iust pro-
duced startling etects IN Various quarters Of The
| earth, was caused by the d,wufall of other
| metel rs belonging to the train Of The SAM
comet.
The next most interesting celestial object
| Tor our star eazers appears TO have beco Jupi-
| F,lnunp Lou o;.l
tentiou to blm. The wonderful rcd SPOT tha,
has adorned the disk of the giant planet for
over two years has attracted msuy telescopes,
auc has given rise to great number of speou-
atlOns. The conclusion seems to be that Ju-
piter is not yat hsbitable globe, but is red
hot ball that Is gradually cooling down, 80 that
ages berce, when the earth IS dead, like it's
comrads, the noCn, life may bloom out 10 J a
piter.
Next to Jupiter in popularity comes Ssturp,
Sevep Observers have takeo psr,ic liar pains 90
study the splendid rings and The little swarm of
eight moons circ'ing about hm.
| Four have watched Mars, three Mercury, one
| Ursnus, and one Neptune. Two have spent
much time among the barren mountains of the
moon, measuring the height of lofty peaks,
trisngulstlng IN the beds of dried up ccs.ns, and
| searching IN hooks and corners from the Bay of
Rain bows 10 the crater of TJ cho fJr some posi-
| bic indie atoms of remaining life
Three observers have baen watching for 8
| glimpse of the shy planet Vulcan which 81 its
name i'm plies, does not fear to face the fiery sun
| at close Quarters; one bss been looking cut for
asteroids, and three have kept watch for meteors
aud shooting stars
The nebu &c have attracted special attention
from only Ole observer. though it is prot aole
| that since Prof Draper has recently succeeded
| IN pho:ogrsphng the neb& n .bey will be more
| studied The gaseous neG'..; .;r are balieyed to be
| cola. systems yet in state of chsos, without
form and void Three observers have paid
| special attention 10 photoRraphing the moon,
| stsrs and planets, and four have spent most OF
| their time with the double stars which are
among the most beautiful # all celestial OBJ ects.
| Counting and making charts of stars has chief :
| occupied the time of four others.
| The Smithsonian Institution has sent out ew
circulars, and next year still more interesting
report may be looked for.-N. 7. Sun
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