ASTRONOMICAL OCCURRENCES. 111 knees, against the testimony of his own conscience, the truth which he had clearly proved.' A decree of the Inquisition condemned him to perpetual imprisonment. He was, however, released in about a year, at the solicitations of the Grand Duke; but to prevent his withdrawing himself from the power of the Inquisition, he was forbidden to leave the territory of Florence. He was born at Pisa, im 1554, and gave very early indications of those talents which were afterwards developed. Mechanics owe to him many discoveries, of which the most important is the theory of falling bodies. This illustrious philosopher was occupied with the libration of the Moon, whom he lost his sight: he died three years afterwards, viz. in 1642, regretted by all Europe, which he left enlightened by his labours, and indignant at the judgment passed against so great a man by an odious tribunal. [To be continued.] Astronomical Occurrences. THE Sun enters the sign Taurus on the 20th of April, at 42 m. past 7 in the morning. TABLE Of the Sun's Rising and Setting for every 5th Day of the Month. April 1, Sun rises 34 m, after 5 sets 26 m. after 6 Table of what is to be added to, and subtracted from, the apparent Time on the Dial, to obtain true Time for every 5th Day of April-(See Occurrences for January). 16, from the time on the dial subtract 0 15 The Moon enters her first quarter on the 5th of April, at 22 m. past 4 in the afternoon; she is full on the 11th, at 43 m. past 6 in the morning: she enters her last quarter on the 19th, at 38 m. past 9 in the morning; and she is at change, or New Moon, on the 27th, at 31 m. past 1 in the after noon. The planet Jupiter will be in opposition, that is, the Sun will be exactly between Jupiter and the Earth, on the 25th, at half past 3 in the afternoon. TABLE Of the Eclipses of Jupiter's first Satellite, that will be visible in these Parts. min. April 5, the immersion will be at 37 past 11 at night Three eclipses may be seen of the second satellite, viz., one on the 8th, at 4 m. past 8 in the evening; one on the 15th, at 38 m. past 10; and one on the 22d, at 12 m. past 1 in the morning. M. Cassini concluded that the satellites of Jupiter revolved about their axes, since, in their passage over Jupiter's disk, they were sometimes visible, at other times, invisible; hence he conjectured, that they had spots on one side and not on the other, and that they became visible in their passage when the spots were next the Earth. At different times they appear of different magnitudes and of different brightness. Dr. Herschel has, from a great number of observations, discovered that they all revolve about their axes in the same times in which they respectively revolve about Jupiter. The colours of the satellites, deduced from all this author's observations, are as follow-the first is white, but sometimes more intensely so than at others. The second is white, but blueish and ash-coloured. The third is always white, but the colour is of a different intensity in different situations. The fourth is dusky, dingy, inclining to orange, reddish, and rusty at different times; and these tints may induce us to surmise that this satellite has a considerable atmosphere. The satellites of Jupiter, in going from the west to the east, are eclipsed by the shadow of Jupiter, and, as they go from east to west, they are observed to pass over its disk; hence it is evident that they revolve about him, and in the same direction as Jupiter revolves about the Sun. The three first satellites are always eclipsed when they are in opposition to the Sun, and the duration of the eclipses are found to be different at different times, but sometimes the fourth satellite passes through opposition without being eclipsed. Hence it appears that the planes of the orbits do not coincide with the plane of Jupiter's orbit, for, in that case, they would always pass through the centre of Jupiter's shadow, and there would always be an eclipse and of the same, or nearly the same, duration at every opposition to the Sun. As the planes of the orbits which they describe sometimes pass through the eye, they will appear to describe straight lines passing through the centre of Jupiter, but, at all other times, they will appear to describe ellipses of which Jupiter is the centre. The satellites of Saturn move in orbits that may be called vertical with respect to our view of them, whereas, as we have seen, those of Jupiter are horizontal; consequently the latter pass through Jupiter's shadow, and are eclipsed, but the former never can be so circumstanced as to be eclipsed, as they never come near the shadow of the planet, excepting when the ring looks edgeways to the Earth by means of its parallelism, which will happen twice in every 29 years; but they revolve round him in circles that stand nearly at right angles to the shadow, and, consequently, do not vary their distance from the Sun, as those of Jupiter do in every revolution. The Naturalist's Diary. Now the pied April shows her blossomed thorn, IN the beautiful language of the wise man, the winter is now over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.'—In these moments, we are the witnesses of the most beautiful and most astonishing spectacle that Nature ever presents to our view. The earth, by an annual miracle, rises again, as from her grave, into life and beauty. A new creation peoples the wintry desert; and the voice of joy and gladness is heard among those scenes which but of late lay in silence and desolation. The sun comes forth, like a bridegroom from his chamber,' to diffuse light and life over every thing he beholds; and the breath of Heaven seems to brood with maternal love over the infant creation it has so lately awakened into being. In such hours, there is a natural impulse which leads us to meditation and praise. We love to go out amid the scenery of Nature, to mark its progressive beauty, and to partake in the new joy of every thing that lives; and we almost involuntarily lift up our eyes to that Heaven from whence cometh the hope of man, which openeth its hand, and filleth all things with plenteousness.' The great word of existence has again gone forth; every breeze that blows appears to call some new species of being from the dark womb of Na ture: and every returning sun seems to glory, with increasing splendour, over that progressive beauty which his rays have awakened.—Alison. If there has been a medium proportion of easterly winds in the previous part of the winter, the month of April may be expected to be mild, with gentle showers; thus affording to vegetables an abundant supply of water, which is so indispensibly necessary to their existence. To many a day in April may be applied the beautiful lines of the divine HERBERT:Sweet day! so cool, so calm, so bright; The bridal of the earth and sky, Sweet dews shall weep thy fall to-night, Sweet rose! whose hue, angry and brave, Thy root is ever in its grave, And thou must die. Sweet SPRING! full of sweet days and roses; My music shows you have your closes, Some exquisite And all must die. Lines written in Early Spring,' by Mr. Wordsworth, may be seen in his Poems,' vol. ii, p. 117. The arrival of the swallow about the middle of this month announces the approach of summer, and now all Nature assumes a more cheerful aspect. The swallow tribe is of all others the most inoffensive, harmless, entertaining, and social: all, except one species, attach themselves to our houses, amuse us with their migrations, songs, and marvellous agility, and clear the air of gnats and other troublesome insects, which would, otherwise, much annoy and incommode us. Mark, Cstella, when the Spring * |