The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-01-16
The Worlds Debt to Astronomy.

mankind. While chemistry, physics,
and we might say all sciences which
pertain to things on the earth, are
comparatively modern, We find that
contemplative men engaged in the
study of the celestial motions even
before the commencement of authen-
tic history. The earliest navigators
of whom we know must have been
aware that the earth was round. This
fact was certainly understood by the
Ancient Greeks and Egyptians as we'll
as it is at the present day. True,
they did not know that the earth re-
volved on its axis, but thought that
the heavens, and all that in them is,
performed daily revolution around
our globe, which was, therefore, the
center Of the universe. It was the
cynosure, or constellation Of the Lit
tie Bear, by which the sailors used to
guide their ships before the discovery
of the mariners compass. Thus we
see both practical and contemplative
side to astronomy through all history.
The world owes two debts to that
science; one for its practical uses and
the other for the ideas it has afforded
us of the immensity of creation.
The practical uses Of astronomy are
of two kinds: One relates to geogra-
ply; the other to times, seasons, and
chronology. Every navigator who
sails long out of sight of land must be
something Of an astronomer. His
compass tells him where are east,
west, north, and south, but it gives
him no information as to where on
the wide ocean he may be, or whittier
the currents may be carrying him.
Even with the swiftest modern. steam
ers it is not safe to trust to the COM
pass in crossing the Atlantic. Not
only the navigator, but the surveyor
in the Western wilds must depend on
astronomical observations to learn his
exact position on the earth's surface,
or the latitude and longitude of the
camp which he occupies. He is able
to do this because the earth is round,
and the direction of the plumb line
not exactly the same at any two
places. 1t is true that q considerable
distance on the earth's surface will
seem very small in its effect on the
position of a star. Suppose there
were two stars in the heavens, the one
in the zenith of the place where you
now stand and the other in the zenith
of place mile away. To the best
eye unaided by telescope those two
stars would look like single one.
But let the two places be five miles
apart, and the eye could see that there
were two of them. A good telescope
could distinguish between two stars
corresponding to places not more than
hundred feet apart. The most exact
! measurements can determine distances
ranging from thirty to sixty feet. If
a skillful astronomical observer should
mount telescope on your premises,
and determine his latitude by observa-
tions on two or three evenings, and
then you should try to trick him by
taking up the instrument and putting
it at another point one hundred feet
north or south, he would find out that
something was wrong by single
nights work.
We cannot measure across oceans
from island to island. Up to the
present time we have not even meas
ured across the continent, from New
York to San Francisco, in the most
precise way. Without astronomy we
should know nothing Of the distance
between New York and Liverpool, e1-
cept by the time which it took steam
ers to run it-a measure which would
be very uncertain indeed. But by the
aid of astronomical observations and
the Atlantic cables the distance is
found within few hundred yards.
Without astronomy we could scarcely
make an accurate map of the United
States, except at enormous labor and
expense, and even then We could not
be sure of it's correctness. But the
practical astronomer being able to
determine his latitude and longitude
within fifty yards, the positions Of the
principal points in all great cities Of
the country are known, and can be
laid down on maps. The world has
always had to depend on astronomy
for all it's knowledge concerning times
| and seasons. The changes Of the
| moon gave US the first month, and the
year completes its round as the earth
travels in its orbit. The results Of
astronomical observation are for US
| condensed into almanacs, which are
now in such universal use that we
| never think of their astronomical
origin. At some of the principal OBJ
scrvatories of the country astronomi-
cal observations are made on every
clear night for the express purpose of
regulating an astronomical clock with
| the greatest exactness. Every day at
noon signal is sent to various parts
Of the country by telegraph, so that
all operators and railway men who
hear that signal can set their clock at
noon within two or three seconds.
| People who live near railway stations
| no, tbuo rot thair timn from II. and 40