A Short Course in Astronomy and the Use of the Globes (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1879 Excerpt: ...promulgated in 1675 by Hans Roemer, a Danish astronomer, and has been confirmed by other and more recent discoveries. BATURN 136. Saturn is the centre of a very large and peculiar system, being attended by eight satellites and encom 135. What important discovery did this lead to? In what way? By whom made? 136. What is said of Saturn? Its name and sign? passed by several rings. It shines generally with a dull yellowish light. Saturn, in the ancient mythology, was one of the older deities, and presided over time, the seasons, etc. He was represented as a very old man carrying a scythe in one hand. The sign of the planet is a rude representation of a scythe. 137. Orbit.--The eccentricity of its orbit is a little greater than that of Jupiter, being about of its major axis. It is therefore nearly 100 millions of miles nearer to the sun in perihelion than in aphelion. The inclination of its orbit is about 2 degrees. 138. Figure, etc.--The oblateness of this planet is, like that of Jupiter, very remarkable, its equatorial diameter being 7,800 miles longer than the polar diameter. Its axial rotation being performed in 10 hours, its equatorial velocity is more than 22,000 miles an hour; and, as its density is somewhat less than that of oak wood, its figure would necessarily be very much flattened by the action of the centrifugal force. The density of tins planet is so small that, notwithstanding its immense size, a body at its surface would weigh only about more than at the surface of the earth. 139. Seasons.--As the inclination of its axis is about 27, its seasons must be similar to those of the earth; but, in consequence of the length of its year, are nearly thirty times as long as on the earth. 140. Telescopic Appearance.--This planet, when 137. Eccentrici...