A Handbook of Descriptive and Practical Astronomy: The sun, planets, and comets - George Frederick Chambers - Google Books

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THE ZODIACAL LIGHT.

General description of it.-When and where visible.-Sir J. Herschel's theory.

- Historical notices. - Modern observations of it. Backhouse's Con-

clusions.

142-7

Period, &c.-Phases.-Apparent motions.-Its brilliancy.-Telescopic appear-

ance. Its ruddy hue.-Schiaparelli's "Canals."-General statement of the

physical details of Mars.-Map of Mars on Mercator's projection.-Polar

snow.-Axial rotation.-The seasons of Mars.-Its atmosphere.-The Satel-

lites of Mars.-Ancient observation of Mars. -Tables of Mars.

THE MINOR PLANETS.

Sometimes called Ultra-Zodiacal Planets.-Summary of facts.-Notes on Ceres. -

Pallas.-Juno.-Vesta.-Olbers's theory.-History of the search made for them.

--Independent discoveries.-Progressive diminution in their size. 164-70

Period, &c.-Jupiter subject to a slight phase.-Its Belts. Their physical nature.

-First observed by Zucchi.-Dark Spots.-Luminous Spots.-The great Red

Spot.—The great White Spot.-Hough's observations.—Alleged Connection

between Spots on Jupiter and Spots on the Sun.-Axial rotation of Jupiter.-

Centrifugal force at its Equator.-Luminosity of Jupiter.—Its Apparent

Motions.-Astrological influences.-Attended by 4 Satellites.-Are they visible

to the Naked Eye ?-Table of them.-Eclipses of the Satellites.-Occultations.

-Transits.-Peculiar aspects of the Satellites when in transit.-Singular

circumstance connected with the interior ones.-Instances of all being

invisible. Variations in their brilliancy.-Observations of Eclipses for

determining the longitude.-Practical difficulties.-Römer's discovery of the

progressive transmission of light.-Mass of Jupiter.-The "Great Inequality."

-Tables of Jupiter.
173-99

Period, &c.-Figure and Colour of Saturn.-Belts and Spots.-Observations of

the Belts by Holden.-By Ranyard.-Bright spot recorded by Hall.-Probable

atmosphere.-Observations of Galileo, and the perplexity they caused.-

Logogriph sent by him to Kepler.-Huygens's discovery of the Ring.-

His logogriph.-The bisection of the Ring discovered by Cassini.-Sir

W. Herschel's Doubts.-Historical epitome of the progress of discovery.—

The Dusky" Ring.-Facts relating to the Rings.-Appearances pre-

sented by them under different circumstances.-Rotation of the Ring.-

Secchi's inquiries into this.-The Ring not concentric with the Ball.-

Measurements by W. Struve.-Other measurements.-Miscellaneous par-

ticulars.-Theory of the Ring being fluid.-Now thought to consist of an

aggregation of Satellites.-The "Beaded" appearance of the Ring.-O.

Struve's surmise about its contraction.-Irregularities in the appearances of

the ansæ.-Rings not bounded by plane surfaces.-Mountains suspected on

them. An atmosphere suspected.-Physical observations between 1872 and

1876 by Trouvelot.-Observations by MM. Henry.-By Keeler.-Brightness

of Rings and Ball.-Bessel's investigations into the Mass of the Rings.-

Saturn attended by 8 Satellites.-Table of them.-Physical data relating to

each.-Elements by Jacob.-Coincidences in the Rotation-periods of certain

of them.-Transits of Titan.-Celestial phenomena on Saturn.—Lockyer's

summary of the appearances presented by the Rings.-Peculiarity relative

to the illumination of Iapetus.-Mass of Saturn.-Ancient observations.—

Saturnian Astronomy.

Circumstances connected with its discovery by Sir W. Herschel.-Names pro-

posed for it.--Early observations.-Period, &c.-Physical appearance.-Belts

visible in large telescopes.-Position of its axis.-Attended by 4 Satellites.-

Table of them.—Miscellaneous information concerning them.-Mass of

Uranus. Tables of Uranus.
242-51

Circumstances which led to its discovery.-Summary of the investigations of

Adams and Le Verrier.-Telescopic labours of Challis and Galle.-The

perturbations of Uranus by Neptune.-Statement of these perturbations by

Adams.-Period, &c.-Attended by I Satellite.-Elements of its orbit.-

Mass of Neptune. -Observations by Lalande in 1795.

ECLIPSES AND ASSOCIATED PHENOMENA.

GENERAL OUTLINES.

Definitions.-Position of the Moon's orbit in relation to the Earth's orbit.-Con-

sequences resulting from their being inclined to each other.—Retrograde

motion of the nodes of the Moon's orbit.-Coincidence of 223 synodical periods

with 19 synodical revolutions of the node.-Known as the "Saros."-State-

ment of Diogenes Laërtius.-Illustration of the use of the Saros.-Number of

Eclipses which can occur.-Solar Eclipses more frequent than Lunar ones.-

Duration of Annular and Total Eclipses of the Sun.

ECLIPSES OF THE SUN.

Grandeur of a Total Eclipse of the Sun.-How regarded in ancient times.-

Effects of the progress of Science.-Indian Customs.-Effect on Birds at

Berlin in 1887.-Solar Eclipses may be Partial, Annular, or Total.- Chief

phenomena seen in connexion with Total Eclipses.-Change in the colour of

the sky. The obscurity which prevails.-Effect noticed by Piola.-Physical

explanation.—Baily's Beads.-Extract from Baily's original memoir.-Prob-

ably due to irradiation.-Supposed to have been first noticed by Halley in

1715. His description.-The Corona.-Hypothesis advanced to explain its

origin. Probably caused by an atmosphere around the Sun.-Remarks by

Grant.-First alluded to by Philostratus.-Then by Plutarch.-Corona visible

during Annular Eclipses.-The Red Flames.-Remarks by Dawes.-Physical

cause unknown.-First mentioned by Stannyan.--Note by Flamsteed. —

Observations of Vassenius.-Aspect presented by the Moon.-Remarks by

THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN OF JULY 28, 1851.

Observations by Airy.-By Hind.-By Lassell.

THE ANNULAR ECLIPSE OF THE SUN OF MARCH 14-15, 1858.

Summary of observations in England.

THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN OF JULY 18, 1860.

Extracts from the observations of Sir G. B. Airy.-Observations of the Red Flames

by Bruhns.-Meteorological observations by Lowe.

RECENT TOTAL ECLIPSES OF the SUN.

Eclipse of August 18, 1868.-Observations by Col. Tennant and M. Janssen at

Guntoor. Summary of results.-Observations of Governor J. P. Hennessy and

Capt. Reed, R.N.-Eclipse of August 7, 1869.-Observations in America by

Prof. Morton and others.-Summary of results.-Eclipse of December 22, 1870.

-English expedition in H. M. S. Urgent to Spain.-Observations in Spain

and Sicily.-Eclipse of December 11, 1871.-Observed in India.-Eclipse of

April 16, 1874.- Summary by Mr. W. H. Wesley of the recent observations as

to the Physical Constitution of the Corona.

HISTORICAL NOTICES.

Eclipses recorded in Ancient History.--Eclipse of 584 B.C.-Eclipse of 556 B.C.—

Eclipse of 479 B.C.-Eclipse of 430 B.C.-Eclipse of 309 B.C.-Allusions in old

English Chronicles to Eclipses of the Sun.

ECLIPSES OF THE MOON.

Lunar Eclipses of less interest than Solar ones. -Summary of facts connected with

them.-Peculiar circumstances noticed during the Eclipse of March 19, 1848.—

Observations of Forster.-Wargentin's remarks on the Eclipse of May 18,

1761.-Kepler's explanation of these peculiarities being due to Meteorological

causes.-Admiral Smyth's account of the successive stages of the Eclipse of

Oct. 13, 1837.-The Eclipse of Jan. 28, 1888.-The Eclipse of Sept. 2, 1830, as

witnessed in Africa by R. and J. Lander.-Chaldæan observations of Eclipses.

-Other ancient Eclipses.-Anecdote of Columbus.

A CATALOGUE OF ECLIPSES

TRANSITS OF THE INFERIOR PLANETS.

Cause of the phenomena.-Lord Grimthorpe's statement of the case.-Long

intervals between each recurrence.-Useful for the determination of the Sun's

parallax.-List of transits of Mercury.-Of Venus.-Transit of Mercury of

Nov. 7, 1631.-Predicted by Kepler.-Observed by Gassendi.-His remarks.—

Transit of Nov. 3, 1651.-Observed by Shakerley.-Transit of May 3, 1661.—

Transit of Nov. 7, 1677.-Others observed since that date.-Transit of Nov. 9,

1848.-Observations of Dawes.-Of Forster.-Transit of Nov. 11, 1861.-Observa-

tions of Baxendell.-Transit of Nov. 5, 1868.-Transit of May 6, 1878.-Transit

of Nov. 7, 1881.-Summary by Jenkins of the main features of a Transit.-

Observations by Prince.-By Langley.-Transit of Venus of Nov. 24, 1639.-

Observed by Horrox and Crabtree.-Transit of June 5, 1761.-Transit of June

3, 1769.-Where observed.-Singular phenomenon seen on both occasions.-

Explanatory hypothesis.-Other phenomena.-Transit of Dec. 8, 1874-

Transit of Dec. 6, 1882.
337-54

How caused.-Table annually given in the "Nautical Almanac."-Occultation

by a young Moon.-Effect of the Horizontal Parallax.-Projection of Stars

on the Moon's disc.-Occultation of Jupiter, January 2, 1857.-Occultation

of Saturn, May 8, 1859.-Occultation of Saturn, April 9, 1883.-Historical

PHYSICAL AND MISCELLANEOUS ASTRONOMICAL

Introduction.-Physical cause of the Tides.-Attractive force exercised by the

Moon. By the Sun.—Spring Tides.—Neap Tides.—Summary of the principal

facts.-Priming and Lagging.-Diurnal Inequality.

LOCAL TIDAL PHENOMENA.

Local disturbing influences.-Table of Tidal ranges. -Influence of the Wind.-

Experiment of Smeaton.—The Tides in the Severn at Chepstow.—Tidal phe-

nomena in the Pacific Ocean.-Remarks by Beechey.-Velocity of the great

Terrestrial Tidal wave.-Its course round the earth, sketched by Johnston.—

Effects of Tides at Bristol.-Instinct of animals.-Tides extinguished in

rivers.-Instances of abnormal Tidal Phenomena.-The "Mascaret" on the

Seine.-Historical notices.

...

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PHYSICAL PHENOMENA.

Secular Variation in the Obliquity of the Ecliptic.-Precession.-Its value.-Its

physical cause.-Correction for Precession.-History of its discovery.-

Nutation.-Herschel's definition of it.-Connexion between Precession and

ABERRATION AND PARALLAX.

Aberration. The constant of Aberration.-Familiar illustration.-History of the

circumstances which led to its discovery by Bradley.-Parallax.-Ex-

planation of its nature.-Parallax of the heavenly bodies.--Parallax of the

Moon.-Importance of a correct determination of the Parallax of an Object.-

Leonard Digges on the distance of the Planets from the Earth.

REFRACTION AND TWILIGHT.

Its nature.-Importance of a correct knowledge of its amount.-

Table of the correction for Refraction.-Effect of Refraction on the position

of objects in the horizon.-History of its discovery.-Twilight.-How caused.

GENERAL REMARKS.

Comets always objects of popular interest, and sometimes of alarm.-Usual

phenomena attending the development of a Comet.-Telescopic Comets.-

Comets diminish in brilliancy at each return.-Period of revolution.-

Density.-Mass.-Lexell's Comet.-General influence of Planets on Comets.

-Special influence of Jupiter.-Comets move in 1 of 3 kinds of orbits.-

Element of a Comet's orbit. For a parabolic orbit, 5 in number.-Direction

of motion.-Eccentricity of an elliptic orbit.-The various possible sections

of a cone.-Early speculations as to the paths in which Comets move.-

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