Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-03-11

qulHltlve mind whether the planets Will
exert mutual influence upon each
other. They certainly attract each
other, and in consequence their clip
tical motions around the sun suffer a
disturbance. Still, these perturbations,
as the mutually disturbing forces are
called, are small, the greatest being
that which prevails between Jupiter
and Saturn when they are nearest TO
each other, with the exception OF the
asteroids, which are seusibly affected
by the attractive force of the colossal
body of Jupiter. And now another per.
tinenG question obtrutes itself, viz:
whether in consequence of the constantly
going on mutual attraction OF the
planets the whole planetary system
might ultimately be affected to such an
extent as to destroy its stability and to
cause it's utter destruction, an awful
thought, well calculated to send thrill
Of horror through tho human soul.
Laplace, French astronomer. than
whom pone ever evinced an acuter
mathematical genius, has proved that
not alone such obstruction can never
engue in consequence OF these perturba-
tions, but that even the attraction Of
the largest planets will not sensibly
alter the existing state OF things as a
harmonious whole. We must not, how
ever, draw the inference from this that
other actions may not in course of time
bring about a final catastrophe. Much
as science knows now, it has not yet
succeeded. nor in all probability will
ever succeed, in lifting up the veil that
hides future events from our anxious
eyes.
A n - -. 4,
ings the two consultations Argo NaviG
and the zodiacal constellation Cancer
are overhead. The former is a very
large constellation, consisting OF 1873
stars, visible to tho naked eye, though
latitude. 1t is south of CAMS Major
and contains two STARS Of the first
magnitude, Eta and Canopus. Eta is
called variable. The famous English
astronomer, HALEY, observed it in 1877
as star OF the fourth magnitude AT
the beginning OF this century it quite.
suddenly grew brighter, and in the
year 1913 it's magnitude placed it next
to Sirius in the list of first magnitude
stars. 1t then began rapidly to lose its
brightness, and at present it has
| dwindled to the seventh magnitude.
This strange behavior has not little
| puzzled astronomers, and there is no
certainty whether or when it will in
crease in brightness again. The con.
stelation Cancer, or the Crab, is
not distinguished by solitary
bright star. but by a cluster called
Praesepe, or the Manger, or sometimes
the Beehive. Two stars, Gamma and
Delta, in this constellation are near
Praesepe and are called Aselli, or the
| Donkeys. ii Cancer is not conspicuous
by its bright star, it may easily DO
recognized by its position between the
two fine and prominent consultations,
| Gemini and Leo, the former on the
west, the latter on the east of 1T.
Although AurIga has passed the meri-
dian, it is GRILL high Up and with
beautiful Capella auorns the skies.
Orion, the Greater Dog with Sirius
the Lesser Dog with Procyon, the
Twins with Castor and Pollux, Taurus
with Aldeharan and the two clusters,
the Pleiades and Hyades, though all
bending toward the western horizon, are
still in full view during the hours OF
the evening and preeeDt picture
which We have been admiring for
several months and which is enhanced
by the three bright planets, Venus,
Mars and Jupiter, tine position Of which
we have described above. The Great
Bear is low down in the north. ard or
the opposite side of the Pole Star we
see Cassioepia. Andromeda is neal
the western horizon. soon to sink he.
peath it until its rising again wiz az,
Dounce the approach OF the autumpa
season. To the Leholder capable Of
deeper emotions than the monotonous
routine of business is apt to arouse thi!
coming and going OF the consultations,
with their glorious host of stars, vii
be an emblem Of the flight of time ant
arouse in him the solemn thought o
his own life thus fitting away ant
nearer and nearer approaching the end
when its fitful fever is over forever
and to hiLa tho awful curtains of i'm
mortality are drawn aside.