h. m. h. m. h.. m. h. m. h. m. h. m. h. m. h. h. m. M. 14A46 1 A 10 5M40 10M25 1M51 7M5111A 46 6M27 4A39 OM42 44 34 6 15 4 25 0 28 souths. rises. Saturn. souths. rises. souths. m. h. W 28 Innocents T 29 S 31 Silvester 59 their fluidity; and ac30 cording as there is a 2 greater or lesser pro33 portion of saline in3 gredients in this me 34 teoric compound, it is 4 precipitated to the 35 Earth in different 5 forms, such as snow, 35 hail, sleet, &c.-Every 5 sign concurs in show35 ing, that before the 5 middle of this month 025 we shall have winterly 54 weather, & great falls 124 of snow. Frost between 1 49 11 40 0 8 3 52 rises 0M32 73 53 5A36 1 24 54 the 15th and 25th; but 223 about Christmas rain 252 or snow, and a frigid 21 close of the year 1825. Jupit.; Morn. St. 7 4 57 1 22 5 10 5 31 13 5 10 1 29 6 57 10 26 6 4 10 1310 33 1 45 5 4110 43 1 Notable Aspects. 3 Conjunction of Moon and Jupiter in Virgo, 40 min. past 8 in the morning. 5 Conjunction of Moon and Mars in Libra, at 2 o'clock in the morning. 5 Quartile of Sun and Jupiter from Sagittarius and Virgo, at 9 at night. 7 Moon in perigee, or in that point of her orbit least distant from the Earth. 8 Conjunction of Moon and Venus in Scorpio, 45 minutes past 6 morning. 9 Sun eclipsed separating from the Dragon's Head, or Ascending Node. 10 Opposition of Sun and Saturn from Sagittarius and Gemini, at 5 aftern. 11 Conjunction of Moon and Mercury in Capricorn, at 9 in the morning. 12 Conjunction of Moon and Geor. Sidus in Capricorn, at 1 in the morning. 13 Mercury at this time at his greatest eastern elongation from the Sun. 15 Trine of Jupiter and Mercury from Virgo and Capricorn, at 11 at night. 19 Moou in apogee, or in that point of her orbit farthest from the Earth. 21 Venus in the Dragon's Head, or Moon's Ascending Node, at 5 morning. 22 Sun makes his ingress into Capricorn, 46 minutes past 1 in the morning. 22 Mercury now for a few days apparently stationary in the sign Capricorn. 22 Trine of Saturn and Mars from the signs Gemini and Libra, at midnight. 24 Appulse of Moon to Saturn in Gemini, at 3 morn. Moon N. of Pl. 1° 3′ 46′′. 24 Quartile of Jupiter and Venus from Virgo and Sagittarius, at 4 afternoon. 26 Quartile of Mars and Geor. Sidus from Libra and Capricorn, at 11 forenoon. 30 Conjunction of Moon and Jupiter in Virgo, 40 min. past 3 in the aftern. 31 Inferior Conjunction of Sun and Mercury in Capricorn, 11h. 45 min. night. TIMELY WARNINGS AND WHOLESOME PRECEPTS.. Quartiles of the Sun and Jupiter, and of Venus and Jupiter from Sagittarius | and Virgo; of Mars and Geor. Sidus from Libra and Capricorn; and of Saturn and Mars from Gemini and Libra-an Opposition of Sol and Saturn from Sagittarius and Gemini-a Conjunction of the Sun and Mercury, and an Eclipse of the former in Sagittarius. These, with the Appulse of the Moon to Saturn in Gemini, form the train of signs with which the year closes. See how the Regent's Park, and Street that Swallow was, Things have got to strange extremes; and "extremes never last long," the old adage says. And what is all this but the raising of so many temples to the idol, Pride?. But "Pride," says the proverb, "goeth before destruction." On winding up my warnings for the year, I call the attention of all good men to the following emphatic passage from Ezekiel: "As I live, saith the Lord, God, Sodom, thy sister, hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters. Behold this was the iniquity of thy sister, Sodom: Pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness, was in her and her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy: and they were haughty, and committed abomination before me; therefore I took them away as I saw good." (xvi. 48.) Poetical Vagary—concluded. Thus, of this pious job you have the marrow- And lastly to keep all in proper action, A medium of exchange stamp'd is by law, To pass as coin, which is not worth the fraction, To keep it up, what puffing, and what trouble! Yet burst the frail thing must, and vanish as a bubble. " THOUGH, to those who look at them in a careless way, the Stars appear a confusion of luminous bodies, they are soon found to be so reducible to order as to be all known, with a little attention, by persons the most inexperienced. No recreation is more agreeable and improving to the mind than that of contemplating these superior works of the Great Creator; my design, therefore, is to lay down, from time to time, as well as my contracted space allows, an easy principle for every one who pleases to get by heart every syllable of the Celestial Primer. WINTER, Which begins December the 21st, and continues to March the 20th, affords many evening hours for pursuing the study of the starry fields. The seven bright stars of The Greater Bear, from their never setting to us, are universally known by the sundry names of Charles' Wain, The Plough, &c. As these move round the North Pole daily, a line imagined through the two leading stars will always point directly to The Pole Star, which is ever in the same place; and, from being more conspicuous than any in its immediate vicinity, cannot well be mistaken. Being familiar with these two features, we will now look at the visible heavens, as presented to our view on the first day of Winter, at six o'clock in the evening. The Greater Bear at this hour is over the north; and nearly on our zenith is the fine assemblage called Cassiopeia. Supposing now a line from the brightest star in Cassiopeia to pass through The Pole Star, it will exactly meet the middle star of the seven which compose The Wain. Continue this line southward, and you meet a fine star in the head of Andromeda; and below, another equally brilliant, called Algenib, in Pegasus. Thus has the learner a practical rule for making himself familiar with a primitive circle; for the line thus traced is a section of the equinoctial colure. The Milky Way, at the time of these observations, passes east and west through our zenith; and if from Cassiopeia we look N.N. by E., rather higher than half way between the horizon and zenith, we shall see two bright stars which mark the shoulders of Auriga, the Charioteer, Conceiving, then, a line from the lowermost of these through the North Pole to the western side of the horizon, it will pass the Dragon's Head, marked by three bright stars nearly equidistant from the Pole with the stars of Auriga, and will meet the Milky Way on the east and west points of the horizon. Hence has the learner found another main circle of the celestial sphere; for the line here traced, is nearly that of the solstitial colure. These two primary lines or circles, once fairly known, every star in the heavens which they inclose may be very easily learnt and recollected. Saturn, on the 21st of December, comes to our meridian at ten at night, seated at an intermediated point between The Seven Stars and Aldebaran, or the Bull's Eye, when with his ring and moons, he will invite observation. Jupiter will then be rising in the east, leading up Leo. The conjunction of Mars and Venus on the 24th will be a pleasing spectacle, as they lower in the west. The latter will be 40 minutes north of the former; and they will set together SPRING Commences March 20th, and lasts till June 21st. Now, for illustrating the utility of that which has been advanced, in treating of the Winter Quarter, with regard to tracing the two colures, and observing their rotation daily about the heavens, we first have to remark, that they serve to divide the celestial sphere into four equal parts, by cutting each other at right angles in the two poles; hence, each consequently follows the other to the meridian of any place every six hours. Let it then be remembered as a general rule, that, on the day of either equinox, the colure which passes through The Bear and Cassiopeia, coincides with the meridian of any place at noon; and that the same occurs at either solstice with regard to that colure marked by the Head of Draco and Auriga. Suppose, then, at the Vernal Equinox we enter, at 9 o'clock in the evening, upon a view of the heavens, how are we, by means of these colures, to proceed to distinguish any feature of the firmament ?-We first recollect, that the equinoctial colure was on our meridian at noon on that day; but nine hours having since elapsed, we immediately consider that the solstitial colure has also passed three hours before our observation. Hence we get to know that the determining constellations must be towards N.W. and S.W. and in the opposite bearings of the eastern side of the heavens; and having accordingly found them, we pass on to any further observations. Standing with our face directly south, our right hand will be duly west, where we shall perceive the planet Saturn, still immediately between the Seven Stars and the Bull's Eye, while Jupiter will have just passed the meridian. Orion will be seen declining; and in the S.W. by W., Betelguese, in his left shoulder, with Procyon eastward in Canis Minor, and Sirius below in the Greater Dog, will present a grand equilateral triangle of stars of the first magnitude and brilliancy. Above these appear the majestic train which compose The Twins; and on the eastern side of the meridian advances that glorious armament of orbs which has been assigned to Leo. The east will be illumined by that noble star Arcturus in Bootes; to which Spica, in Virgo, seems rising E.S.E. to outrival, Between Arcturus and The Wain, is another interesting object called Cor Caroli; and beneath the Dragon's Head is Lyra. The northern point of the horizon is occupied by The Swan from which, thwarting the western quarter through Andromeda, Persens, Auriga, from north to south, is to be seen sweeping along its luminous course, the SUMMER Begins June 21st, and ends September 23d; and from the Moon not setting on these long days until ten o'clock, the stars will not be generally visible until nearly twelve, which we fix for our present survey of the heavens upon the first day of Summer. According to the general rule laid down in our preceding remarks, the solstitial colure, in the twelve hours from noon to midnight, will have come round again to the meridian; and the other colure will intersect the horizon in the east and west points; Cassiopeia being eastward, and The Wain west, while the zenith is occupied by the Dragon's Head, and the north by Auriga. AUTUMN Comes in on the 23d of September, and closes on the 22d of December; and in order to complete, as far as we can, our clue to a knowledge of the starry sphere for the use of those unacquainted with the subject, we shall show what principal constellations, visible here at any season, are inclosed in the several quarterings of the heavens described by the respective colures. If we fix 9 o'clock on the night of the autumnal equinox for the time of our review, the colures will not coincide either of them with the meridian, but will fall, as at the vernal season, in the east and west quarters of the heavens, but in reversed situations. In the former instance, Cassiopeia and Auriga stood on the western side, which they now have left for the eastern, mutually exchanging places with The Wain and Head of Draco. If, from the zenith, with our face south, we a rate orb called Antares. Surmounting these is space of large dimensions assigned to Serpentarius, or the Serpent-bearer. The head of this figure, viewed in this position of the heavens, is a little to the west of the meridian, and denoted by a bright star about half way between the horizon and zenith. Not far from this, and rather further westward, is another star of the same appearance, called Ras Algethi, signifying the head of the kneeler; and terminating south ward, a constellation generally supposed to have canonized Hercules. On the contrary side of the meridian, is The Archer; and in an almost vacant space, Georgium Sidus, the only planet at this time visible. Immediately over the east point of the hori zon is a bold square figure, three of the angles of which are distinguished by three fine stars in Pegasus, and the fourth by one equally noble in the Head of Andromeda. If from this last we look northward, we are captivated by a superb train nearly equidistant from the horizon and from one another, stretching to near the meridian north, and which mark Andromeda's Girdle and Foot, and the Breast of Perseus. Thus do we meet again the Milky Way, which is here seen to flow across the west quarter of the heavens, through Perseus, Cassiopeia, the head of Cepheus, and presenting at its summit a formation scarcely surpassed for magnificence, called The Swan. Descending thence south ward, we are attracted by The Eagle, containing a star of great splendour, called Atair. A little to the eastward of this is The Dolphin, consisting of four bright stars in the figure of a diamond, with another of the same class rather below them; and thus have we traced, in a third position, the most conspicuous figures with which the skies are garnished. Proceeding westward from the colure, which passes through The Wain, to that distinguished by the Head of the Dragon, we find inclosed between them the zodiacal signs Virge, Libra, and Scorpio. Above Virgo we behold Bootes, and the star Cor Caroli. Over the Scales, stretching upwards to the Northern Crown, is the Head and Body of Serpens, above which is the Tail of Draco, and at the Pole the Lesser Bear: and over Scorpio is Serpentarius and Hercules. Included between the portions marked by the Head of Draco and Cassiopeia, are the signs Sagittarius, Capricornus, and Aquarius. Northward from Sagittarius is the Eagle, the Lyre, and the Body of Draco. Above Capricorn, the Dolphin and the Swan, between which is a minor collection called the Fox and Goose. Iminediately over Aquarius is Pegasus; and adjacent to the Pole is Cepheus, below which is the Lizard. In the quarter between Cassiopeia and Auriga are the zodiacal signs Pisces, Aries, and Taurus. The stars in the large space under Pisces and Aries are embodied in the emblem of a sea-monster, called Cetus; and beneath the Horns of Taurus is Orion. Above Pisces is the tire of lustres which begem Andro meda; and over these beams Cassiopeia. Above Taurus is the spirited concourse consecrated to Perseus; and over the Horns of Taurus mounts the richly decorated Auriga. At the time of making this reconnoitre of the heavens, the only planet above the horizon is Georgium Sidus, which is seated over the S.S.W., but from his great declination south, he' can only be seen in very clear weather, and scarcely then without a telescope. NOTE. From the motion of the earth in its orbit, every constellation comes to any given meridian an hour earlier about every 15 days. The Lunar and planetary positions, and times of their respective risings, southings and settings, having been given in the Register of Notable Aspects, and Calendar pages of each month, a little practice will enable any one to trace thein severally in their progress through the zodiac, which affords very pleasing entertainment, 1 1 ........ Enoch, without death, taken into eternity (Gen. v. 24. Heb. xi. 5.) 3017 Noah warned to build the ark 120 years before the deluge 2468 Human life shortened to its orig. 2347 Japhet's offspring peoples Europe and West Asia...... 2247 Ham's descendants, Syria & Africa 2247 Shem's descendants, Eastern Asia 2247 Nimrod founds the First Empire. 2162 Abram supernaturally invoked emigrates to Mesopotamia & Canaan 1987 Moses receives, in writing, the two tables, fixing the Era of the Art, 1491 Canaan allotted to the Israelites, 1451 Rape of Helen, and Siege of Troy, 1200 Samson pulls down the Pag. temple 1142 Solomon begins the grand temple 1015 Revolt of Israelites agst. K. Rehob. 918 Elijah & Elisha perform miracles 905 | Amos foretold eclipses by prophecy 800 Rome built by Romulus & Remus 752 Israel captive to King Sennacherib "26 Jerusalem sacked by Nebuchadnez. 590 Daniel explains the words seen by King Balthazar on the wall.... Cyrus founds the Second Empire, and releases the Jews from captiv. 560 536 485 394 331 61 55 29 3 33 62 Xerxes invades Greece with 5 millions of men, and is vanquished Rome taken and sacked by the Gauls; delivered by Camillus.. Alexander founds the Third Empire The Jews persecuted by Antiochus, whose cruelties exceed all tyrannies 173 Pompey takes Jerusalem..... Julius Cæsar invades Great Britain Octavius founds the Fourth Empire Christ born according to the time and manner foretold by prophets Christ's crucifix. and resur. Af.Ch. Queen Boadicea, heads her army, and kills 70,000 Romans in Eng. St. Paul beheaded and St. Peter crucified head downwards, by Nero The Jews totally dispersed by Titus St.John writes the Book of Revelat. Pict's Wall built by Adrian Lucius of Brit. 1st Christian King Two million christians suffer martyrdom under the tyrant Dioclesian 303 Constantine converted by a vision seen returning from York to Rome 312 King Arthur established the celebration of Christmas by festivities 516 Mohammed propagates the Koran, ...... 66 71 95 123 157 Britain first ealled England by King Egbert 819 Willm. the Conq. invades England 1066 1716 |