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النشر الإلكتروني

DECEMBER.

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SOLAR PHENOMENA.

The orb of day, to glad the plains below,
O'er-tops the hills where gloomy clouds prevail,
Rolls the blue vapour from the mountain's brow,
Inhales the mist, and gilds the sloping vale;
But though the sun the clouded prospect cheers,
It smiles through ether still, but smiles, alas! in tears.

The sun enters Capricornus at 56 min. after 6 of the evening of the 21st, and attains his greatest southern declination 23° 27′ 36′′.9.

Frequently in this month the solar beams, struggling through a large extent of vapoury atmosphere, feebly illumine the dreary regions of the northern world. When the air is refined by intensity of frost, this gloomy aspect of nature is changed,-the sun shines with brilliancy, and his rays clear, but cold, are reflected from the snowclad landscape, and sparkle from ten thousand glittering gems. The contracted arch of his course is soon described, the brief day of winter speedily terminates, and night quickly resumes her lengthened sway.

What splendors does the night of winter reveal! the immensity of the starry firmament is spread out, and overawes the mind with the sublimity of the scene. The

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evenings of summer raise emotions of love and gratitude, and the mild twinkling of the stars, faintly shining through the illuminated atmosphere, is in perfect harmony with the soft breath of the season, the rustling of leaves, and the warbling of the nightingale; but in winter the stars seem to bend down their courses to this lower world; myriads shine forth with intensest brilliancy, and the deep azure sky teems with these demonstrations of Creative Power. The stupendous magnificence of the scene suggests thoughts of a more serious nature, Eternity, with its mysteries, seem dimly presented to view, and the soul rejoices that it forms a part of the wondrous system.

When the pure soul is from the body flown,
No more shall night's alternate reign be known;
The sun no more shall rolling light bestow,
But from the Almighty streams of glory flow.
Oh! may some nobler thought my soul employ,
Than empty, transient, sublunary joy.
The stars shall drop, the sun shall lose his flame.
But thou, O God! for ever shine the same.

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Conjunctions of the Moon with the Planets and Stars.

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PHENOMENA PLANETARUM.

Mercury in conjunction with λ in Sagittarius on the 5th, difference of latitude 6'. Greatest elongation, as an evening star, on the 7th, angular distance 20° 52'. Stationary on the 15th, near 2 § in Sagittarius. Ascending node on the 17th. Perihelion on the 22nd. Inferior conjunction with the sun at 15 min. after 11 of the night of the 24th.

Venus in conjunction with 53 in Sagittarius on the 8th, difference of latitude 1'. Greatest south latitude on the 12th. In conjunction with Uranus on the 29th.

Phases of Venus.

The following are the proportions of the bright and dark phases of this planet :

December 1st.-Illuminated disc = 10.1528

Dark part...... = 1.8472

Mars stationary near 17 in Aries on the 25th.

The Asteroids.

Hrs. Min.

Vesta, 2nd day. Right Ascension, 14 59 S. Declin. 12° 2′

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Hrs. Min.

Juno, 18th day. Right Ascension. 14 36 S. Declin.

8° 29

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Several strange opinions have been entertained respecting these beautiful bodies arising from the remarkable peculiarities of their motions and physical phenomena. Some have supposed that the immense atmospheres of two of them are derived from the "lost comet of 1770." Others have considered them as the fragments of an exploded planet, and that meteorolites, which occasionally fall to the earth, are some of the smaller masses. On this subject Mr. E. J. Lance has suggested that, as the component parts of meteorolites are similar to terrestrial substances, there does not seem any necessity for tracing them to so distant a source as a planet that once moved between Mars and Jupiter. A chemical process, the electric and galvanic fluid, will dissipate iron, nickel, sulphur, &c., which are the component parts of these aerial masses, and that as these, when thus acted upon, either naturally or artificially, lose a portion of their weight, it is probable that particles are taken up by the atmosphere, and, being re-combined by electric agency, fall to the earth at the instant of their re-combination in the form of meteorolites.

But these small planets are neither the wreck of a

ruined world, nor are they wrapped in the newly acquired train of a comet wandering from its course. In the whole of creation, wherever the power of the Divine Being is evinced, there is also displayed harmony, and an arrangement for the general preservation; a beautiful connexion may be traced, uniting bodies apparently opposite in their natures, gliding through the various links which ascends from the minute to the stupendous -from the grain of sand, that fetters the proud ocean, to the rolling world, and all the vast orbs that move through immensity.

Jupiter in quadrature at 15 min. after 2 of the morning of the 12th.

Eclipses of the Satellites of Jupiter.

First satellite,

EMERSIONS.

2nd day at 38 min. 37 sec. after 8 evening.

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Third satellite,

Fourth satellite,

IMMERSIONS.

1st day at 11 min. 39 sec. after 11 night.

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FORM OF SATURN'S RING.

The sun will be in the plane of the Ring of Saturn, at 1h. after noon of the 1st day; the northern side of the ring visible, which is indicated by the sign + being prefixed to the semi-conjugate axis.

December 1st.-Semi-transverse axis 39".56

Semi-conjugate axis + 1.90

Uranus, on the 1st day, near in Capricornus.

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