Youth's Book of Astronomy |
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Common terms and phrases
annual revolution appear ascertained asteroids astronomers atmosphere atmospheric refraction attraction axis balloon called cause celestial body centre Ceres changes circle climate clouds comets consequence constellations dark days and nights degrees diameter difference diminishes direction distance diurnal revolution earth earth's orbit east eclipse effect equal equator feet fixed stars gas balloon globe heavenly bodies heavens height Hence Herschel horizon hourly motion increased inhabitants Jupiter latitude length less longitude lunar eclipse magnitude Mars Mercury meridian millions of miles minutes months move naked eye nearest nearly nebulæ north pole northern hemisphere oblique observations orbit parallax passes penumbra period phenomena planets polar pole proportion Ptolemy quantity rays refraction respect rise satellites Saturn seasons seen shadow shines side Sirius solar eclipse solar system spots sun and moon sun's supposed surface telescope thousand three hundred tides tion tropical velocity Venus Vesta visible whole wind zodiac
Popular passages
Page 238 - ... The wind raised the fine sand with which the extensive desert was covered, so as to fill the atmosphere, and render the immense space before us impenetrable to the eye beyond a few yards. The sun and clouds were entirely obscured, and a suffocating and oppressive weight accompanied the flakes and masses of sand, which, I had almost said, we had to penetrate at every step. At times we completely lost sight of the camels, though only a few yards before us.
Page 91 - The sun's rays are the ultimate source of almost every motion which takes place on the surface of the earth. By its heat are produced all winds, and those disturbances in the electric equilibrium of the atmosphere which give rise to the phenomena of lightning, and probably also to those of terrestrial magnetism and the aurora.
Page 64 - Each degree is divided into 60 equal parts called minutes, and each minute into 60 equal parts called seconds.
Page 238 - Eleven of them ranged alongside of us, about the distance of three miles. The greatest diameter of the largest appeared to me at that distance as if it would measure ten feet. They retired from us with a wind at SE, leaving an impression upon my mind to which I can give no name, though surely one ingredient in it was fear, with a considerable deal of wonder and astonishment.
Page 119 - Jupiter a moderate-sized orange, in a circle nearly half a mile across; Saturn a small orange, on a circle of four-fifths of a mile...
Page 119 - Mercury will be represented by a grain of mustard seed, on the circumference of a circle 164 feet in diameter for its orbit ; Venus a pea, on a circle of 284 feet in diameter ; the Earth also a pea, on a circle of 430 feet ; Mars a rather large pin's head, on a circle of 654 feet ; the Asteroids, grains of sand, in orbits of from 1000 to 1200 feet; Jupiter a moderate-sized orange, in a circle nearly half a mile across...
Page 154 - Sirius, would require to be removed to 141,400 times its actual distance. We have seen, however, that the distance of Sirius cannot be so small as 200,000 times that of the sun. Hence it follows that, upon the lowest possible computation, the light really thrown out by Sirius cannot be so little as double that emitted by the sun ; or that Sirius must, in point of intrinsic splendour, be at least equal to two suns, and is, in all probability, vastly greater.
Page 112 - There is not perhaps another object in the heavens that presents us with such a variety of extraordinary phenomena as the planet Saturn ; a magnificent globe, encompassed by a stupendous double ring ; attended by seven satellites ; ornamented with equatorial belts ; compressed at the poles ; turning upon its axis ; mutually eclipsing its ring and satellites, and eclipsed by them ; the most distant of the rings also turning upon its axis, and the same taking place with the farthest of the satellites...
Page 130 - Twins, the Crab, the Lion, the Virgin, the Scales, the Scorpion, the Archer, the Goat, the Waterer, and the Fishes. Fig. 183. The 12 signs of the zodiac, together with the sun, and the earth revolving around him, are represented at fig.
Page 112 - ... of the satellites: all the parts of the system of Saturn occasionally reflecting light to each other: the rings and moons illuminating the nights of the Saturnian: the globe and...