nitudes, and other phenomena in relation to the primary planets and their satellites, the reader is respectfully referred to the volume entitled "CELESTIAL SCENERY; or, the Wonders of the Planetary System displayed," where all the most interesting facts connected with the solar system, and the scenery it displays, are particularly detailed. ECLIPSES AND OCCULTATIONS. There will be four eclipses this year, two of the sun and two of the moon; but none of them will be visible within the limits of the British isles, nor in the United States of America, except a partial eclipse of the moon, August 13th, at b 23′ A.M., Greenwich time. This eclipse will be visible at Philadelphia, New-York, Boston, and most parts of North America, but not in Britain. On March 4th there will be an annular eclipse of the sun, the middle of which will happen at 7h 23' A.M.; and on August 27th there will be a total eclipse of the sun; middle of the eclipse about 7 A.M. These two interesting eclipses will be visible chiefly in the eastern parts of the globe, in the eastern parts of Africa, the East Indies, the Indian Ocean, Australia, &c. At the Cape of Good Hope there will be a partial eclipse of the sun on August 27th; but both eclipses will be invisible both in Britain and America. This year there will be six eclipses, four of the sun and two of the moon, at the following times: Of the sun, January 22d, at 5h 23', a partial eclipse, visible only in a small portion of the Southern Ocean: of the moon, February 6th, at 2h 6′ A.M., visible in Great Britain; of the sun, a partial eclipse, February 21st, at 11h 4' A.M., visible chiefly in the North Atlantic Ocean, Iceland, and East Greenland; of the sun, a partial eclipse, July 18th, at 2h 24′ P.M., visible in Baffin's Bay, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia in Europe, Prussia, Germany, Scotland, &c., but invisible at Greenwich; of the moon, a total eclipse, August 2d, at 10h 1' A.M.; of the sun, a partial eclipse, August 16th, at 9h 19′ P.M., visible chiefly in the South Pacific Ocean. The times here specified denote the middle of the eclipse. All the above eclipses are invisible at Greenwich, and in most parts of Britain, except the total eclipse of the moon on February 5th and 6th, of which the following is a more particular detail in mean time at Greenwich: First contact with penumbra of the earth's shadow, Feb- First contact with dark shadow, February 6th ............ ditto Last total immersion in dark shadow, ditto .......... .............. ditto Digits eclipsed, 204. h m. 11 24 P.M. 0 20 A.M. 1 17 A.M. 26 A.M. 2 554 A.M. 3 52 A.M. 4 49 A*M. and A large solar eclipse will be visible on July 8, 1842; no eclipse of the sun will be visible in Britain till that time. That eclipse will be total in the southern parts of France, and large even in and near London. At Greenwich, it will begin at 4 534' A.M., and end at 6h 43′. Digits eclipsed, 9° 42'. Of course this eclipse will not be visible in the United States, nor throughout any part of America, as the sun will not at that time be risen to those places. OCCULTATIONS OF VENUS BY THE MOON IN 1841. On the 26th of March, 1841, the planet Venus will suffer an occultation by the moon. It will begin to be immersed behind the moon at forty minutes past two o'clock in the afternoon, of Greenwich mean time, and will emerge from behind the opposite limb of the moon at twenty-three minutes past 3 P.M. Another occultation of Venus will happen on the 12th of September, 1841; immersion thirty minutes past six in the morning, emersion forty-two minutes past 7 A.M. In the occultation of March 26, Venus will be nearly in the form of a half moon, and the moon in the form of a crescent. Venus will be immerged at the dark (or eastern) limb of the moon, and will emerge from the enlightened crescent. They will be then nearly on the meridian, at an altitude of about 60°, and nearly three hours of right ascension east of the sun. A short time after sunset, Venus will be seen a little west from the lunar crescent, but very near it, shining with considerable splendour. Although this occultation will happen while the sun is above the horizon, yet both the moon and Venus will be easily perceived with a common telescope of very moderate magnifying power. In the occultation which takes place on the morning of September 12, Venus will, as in the former case, be nearly in the shape of a half moon, and the moon a slender crescent, being only 2 days from the period of conjunction, or new moon. In this case Venus will be immerged at the enlightened limb of the moon, and emerge from the dark limb. Both bodies will be then in an easterly or northeasterly direction, and the immersion will take place a little after sunrise; about half an hour before which, Venus will be seen a very little to the east of the moon. EXPLANATIONS OF SOME OF THE ENGRAVINGS OF THE STARS. PLATES I. and II., which represent portions of the heavens as seen about the middle of January and the 1st of September, have been explained p. 21-24; and PLATE III., which represents the north circumpolar stars, has been explained p. 25-29. PLATE IV. represents some of the larger stars and principal constellations around the South Pole, to the distance of 45° from that pole. It also shows a portion of the Milky Way which traverses that region of the heavens, and which is said to appear there with peculiar brilliancy. One of the principal constellations which is frequently noticed, and which appears peculiarly striking to seafaring people and others, is called Crux or the Cross, from the resemblance it bears to that figure. It consists of five stars, one of the first magni tude, two of the second, one of the third, and one of the fourth magnitude. Four of these are in the position of a cross; the northernmost and southernmost of which are always in a line with the South Pole, and therefore serve for a direction in south latitude to discover that pole, as the Two Pointers in the Great Bear serve to direct the eye to the North Polar-star. There is no large or prominent star at or near the South Pole This constellation is represented near the line, or meridian, which points at XII., opposite to the month of May. All its stars, except the lowermost, appear within the limits of the Milky Way. The stars immediately below the Cross belong to the Centaur; those on the left, opposite April, belong to Robur Caroli, or King Charles's Oak, which contains a star of the first magnitude. Farther to the left, opposite March, is Argo Navis, or the Ship. Still farther to the left, opposite February, is Pisces Volans, the Flying Fish, which contains a star of the first magnitude, named Canopus. This star is marked near the left side of the map, opposite the middle of February. To the right from the Cross are the two forelegs of the Centaur, distinguished by two stars of the first magnitude, named Agena and Bungula, Agena being the one next to the Cross. They are in the Milky Way, and appear opposite the month of June. Next to the Cross and the Centaur, on the right, are Circinus, or the Compasses; the Southern Triangle, which contains three stars of the second magnitude in the form of a triangle; and Ara, or the Altar, which lies adjacent to the right-hand side of the map, opposite the space between July and August. Directing our attention to the upper part of the map on the left, there is the constellation Equuleus Pictoria, or the Painter's Easel, which consists of a number of small stars. Next to this, and a little above it, is Dorado, or the Sword Fish, which contains two or three stars of the second and third magnitudes. To the right of Dorado is Hydrus, or the Water Snake; above which is Achernar, a star of the first magnitude in Eridanus, which appears opposite the 1st of December. Next to Achernar, on the right, is Toucana, or the American Goose; above which, opposite November, is the Phænix; to the right of which is the Crane, which contains two stars of the second magnitude; below which is Pavo, or the Peacock, which contains several stars of the second and third magnitudes; below Pavo, opposite to August, is Telescopium, or the Telescope, which contains no remarkable stars. Within eleven degrees of the South Pole, represented by the central point of the map, are two of those whitish or nebulous spaces called the Magellanic Clouds, which are found by the telescope to consist of small stars and nebulous appearances. The other Magellanic cloud, which is the largest, is at a considerable distance from the South Pole. In specifying the names of some of the above-stated constellations, the incongruity of the animals and figures by which these groups of stars are represented will at once be apparent to the reader. |