Birmingham age-herald., 1895-06-09

WnO are not III the 0dDll Ol COltelil- plating scientific causes and effects and their connection, or are not sufficiently trained in mathematical reasoning. It may rationally be supposed that every body who pretends to the most ordinary education knows that all the planets of our solar system move about the sun in fixed orbits and periods. This mo- tion, however is observed from body, our earth, that is itself moving, where by certain effects are produced that are are often more or less puzzling to the ordinary thinker
 We must therefore distinguish real from apparent motion. Let us, for an in- stance, take an inferior planet like Ve- nus or Mercury. At superior conjunc- tion it will appear to move in it's true direction, but at eastern elongation it will appear to be stationary, since for short time it travels toward the earth then it will appear to travel in an oppo- site direction, or, in other words, pre- sent retrograde motion. When it has reached its westerly elongation it will again appear stationary, after which it resumes it's direct motion. As to the su- perior planets, we also observe both these direct and retrograde motions. The reader will realize these apparent motions by suppoSing two bodies travel ing at different rates and in the same di- rection on the circumferences of two con centric circles. Could the planets be
 
 to advance from west to east at their re- Spective velocitieS, and none would ever appear as moving from east to west It cannot cause any astonishment that anterior to the establishment of the Co., pernfcan system so much confusion pre- vailed in regard to the true explanation of planetary motion, and that all that ar tihcial system of cycles and epicycles, at which we cannot look now without smile of contempt and pity, could for so InFaF ffxrn1 nx
 posed upon an ill-instructed and credu- lous world and received as an uncontest- ed, though scarcely plausible, truth The establishment of the Copernican system or astronomy gave q new impulse to the more thorough study of this noble sci ence, and may be considered as the dawn of a new era of brilliant achievements of the sciences which have proved such in- expressible blessings to mankind In the history of civilization scientific re- searches and their results must ever be regarded as factors inferior to no other what narrow-minded men may say to the contrary, notwithstanding.
 With Canis Mirror. Auriga Perseus and Gemini, which will set in the cours, of the month, the last of the winter con steliations will disappear from the sky Arcturus, the principal star in the con stellation Booter, is on the meridian about o'clock in the evening. On ac- count of the brilliancy of Arcturus which is the brightest fixed star in the northern hemisphere Booter is brought into striking prominence. reddish tinge produces a resemblance between Arcturus and the planet Mars The Lion has passed the meridian and is on its downward path. Arcturus forms with Denebola in the Lion and Spica, the principal star in Virgo, a large equi- lateral triangle. We here reiterate remark formerly made by us, viz, that forming well-known and sufficiently simple geometric figures out of the stars greatly assists the memory in tracing the stars and constellations on the celes- tial map. Other consultations that will reach the meridian in the hours before midnight are Libra, Corona Borealis, Ophiuchus and Carries Minor Libra, which contains no star of the first mag nitude, and only two of the second is not a conspicuous constellation. but sill