Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-08-09
Frenohmen La Place and Lagrange
Ha2l9sl etlJ1:lIil11

--haye successfully demonstrated that
the mutual attraction of the planets
can never destroy the system nor even
change the elements of the orbit od
any one Of the larger planets to an exI
tent which would greatly alter it'd
physical condition. There are, it n
true, incossant changes going on in thea
nodes and apoides and inclinations cd
the planes, hut these changes are i'm !
material and periodical, so that In thaH
long run they are in reality no change3y'
at all. 1t is worthy of note here thaH.
the mathematical treatment of the nor
tut bling forces has called the greatesI
analytical powers of man into play and!
furnished testimony Of the acu lenesstI
Of the human intellect and the magical
power of Mathematical analysis nj
skepticlsm or oynicism can inyalidate.
' ia thought worthy of meditation tnatj
while powerful empires have beene'
swept away and the effects of brilliau4
victories have been rendered futile Gy*
subsequent events the domain Of the*
human intellect has ever kept on in.
creasing and has attained to height
which no revolution in the annals al
history will ever diminish or bury into
oblivion.
Looking overhead at about 9 o'clocs
in the August evenings we see the ey,
tensive circumpolar constellation Dracd
winding in ample folds between tha
two Bears. Ths- head of this fabulous
monster is marked by quite a cor spicu
GUS quadriiateral of four stars, Beta a
Rastaben, Gamma or Etanin, Nh and
Sigma, the two former being betweeu
the second and third magnitude and
about degrees apart. Gamma, in nj
daily revolution, passes almost exactly
through the zenith Of Greenwich and
is noted 10 modern astronomy from It'll
connection with the discovery of nea
law 10 physical scence the aberraio1
Of light. The middle point of lid
drawn from NIizar, the last star bu5
one ir the handle of the Great Dirperl
to Gamma in the bowl of the Lits
Dipper is marked by star OF the third
magnitude. This is the star Alrb5N
Draoonis, or Thuban, and is very rad
MAJ kable for the fact that about l,O0e
years ago it was the Pole.star and thealIi
10 times nearer the true pole Of ths
heavens than our present pole star
| FullaTis, is now or ever will be. Dracl
also has the distinction of oontalnibah
the Pole of the Ecliptic"- d a
that Point which is quadrant diSaD. \
from every point in the ecllptic. ThIN
point lies nearly in a straight line bs1N
tween Polaris and the head OF ibid
Dragon, though somewhat nearer lid n
latter. Two other consultations we 81
overhead are Lyra and Aquila. Lyi.#
is made very conspicuous constel, u
| tion by the star Alpha Lyr,e, or VeeI' IA
one of the finest Of the first magnitude q
stars, and without any doubt incompa A
ably larger than odr sun. On the east g
| Vega. at very short distance from "A
there are two stars, Epsilon and Get n
which form with 1T an equiater rs
triangle. Epsilon, the more northe ~
| oil the two, is n quadruple star. A ReI ~
eye can divide it into two, and lard v
telescope splits each OF the componeuI4W
About 8 degrees south of Vega lie
two stars, Beta and Gamma, both
| the third magnitude. Southeast IN
| Lyra and due west of Ophiuchus thrd 81
stars are situated in a short straipl% ~
line, of which the middle one is the iii ct
magnitude star. This IS the chief c. "
| tiRuration of the constellation Aqul ~
or the Eagle, and the first magnitu ~
star Affair, which has been chosen II "a
standard first magnitude star. The VI -
neighboring stars are veta ON ~
south, double star, and Gamma "a
the other side. Not far from Aquils y
a northern direction, we SEQ lit3 Z
constellation, which, though inca
spicuous, is one of he ancient IS
Ptolemy. 1t is called Sagitta, or D ~
Arrow. The fine cross shaped consteli x aS
tion Cygnus is high up and close 10 81
meridian, while Hercples, Ophiuchu1 s!S
Scorpio and the Northern Grown NJ
slowly bending toward ths wsstsi X
horizon. The Brilliant star Arctur ":
Is half way between the meridian al ~ ~
the western horizon, and Virgo, vi ~
Spica, c'ose TO the latter. Pegasd ", y,
with its great Square, is rising in Nv Nv
northeast, the barbinger OF the NJ
preaching season Of autumn. The NJ
planets, Jupiter and Saturn, and ~
fist magnitude stars, Aroturus. vei;<'
Altar and Antares, will give to ". x,
August evening skies very attract E,r
and impressive appearapcs wv