scholarly journals VI. Account of some particulars observed during the late eclipse of the sun

1794 ◽  
Vol 84 ◽  
pp. 39-42
Keyword(s):  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon ◽  
First Impression ◽  
Made In ◽  
The Way

It will be proper to remark that my attention, in observing this eclipse, was not directed to the time of the several parti­culars which are usually noticed in phaenomena of this kind; such as the beginning, the end, and the digits eclipsed. I was very well assured that the care of other astronomers would render my endeavours, in that respect, perfectly unnecessary. The only view I had was, to avail myself of the power and distinctness of my telescopes, in order to see whether any ap­pearances would arise that might deserve to be recorded; and the following particulars will, at least, serve to point out the way for similar observations to be made in other eclipses, where different circumstances may chance to afford an oppor­tunity for gathering some addition to our knowledge, with re­gard to the nature and condition of the moon, or of the sun, and perhaps of both these heavenly bodies. Sept. 5, 1793. 8 th 40' 3" by the clock. My attention being directed to the place where I supposed the first impression would be made, I perceived two mountains of the moon enter the disk of the sun, as delineated at a , b , fig. 1, Tab. VII. The time of their beginning to appear, when I saw them first, might be one or two seconds past.

Prologue

1977 ◽  
Vol 284 (1326) ◽  
pp. 421-430
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Satellites ◽  
Main Theme ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Laser Transmitter ◽  
Made In ◽  
The Way

The distance between a laser transmitter on Earth and corner reflectors in space can now be measured with a precision of a few centimetres. The main theme of the meeting is the exploitation of such measurements between stations on Earth and reflectors embedded in artificial satellites or placed on the Moon. This Prologue prepares the way for the more specialized papers by reviewing the advances already made in geodesy and geophysics using less accurate observations of artificial satellites, and by briefly outlining previous lunar dynamical studies.

Celestial Orientation of Fowler's Toad b uFo Fowleri

Behaviour ◽  
1966 ◽  
Vol 26 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 105-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hobart F. Landreth ◽  
Denzel E. Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Site ◽  
Internal Clock ◽  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Simultaneous Testing ◽  
Celestial Orientation ◽  
Fowler's Toad ◽  
Clock Mechanism ◽  
Made In

AbstractYoung Fowler's toads from on and near the shores of a lake were tested in a circular pen 60 feet in diameter. Under a variety of conditions (e.g. including group tests, individual tests, simultaneous testing of two groups from different shores, long distance displacement, and transit to the test pen both in view of the sky and in lightproof containers), the toads oriented under the sun to a compass direction (Y-axis) corresponding to a line bisecting the home shoreline at right angles. This orientation persisted after 72 hours in darkness, indicating the existence of an internal clock mechanism. Reorientation to a new shore was evident in 24 hours and was virtually complete after 48 hours. Orientation failed or was partially inhibited in small toads tested under dense cloud cover, at noon, and after sunset. Also, the type of orientation exhibited under the sun was evident at night under the moon, but to a lesser extent under starry skies. These mechanisms are useful in foraging and in dispersal from nursery shores. Adults are oriented at night to the breeding site even without benefit of a chorus for reference. Adults oriented to the Y-axis of the breeding site. A recorded chorus distracted migrating adults pursuing a compass course toward a pond. Non-breeding adults compensated for a displacement made in view of the sun. Celestial orientation is considered a basic orientational mechanism which most likely developed early in anuran history.

scholarly journals A New Look at the Sun

1974 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 3-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Wild
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Planetary System ◽  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Atomic Spectra ◽  
Solar Astronomy ◽  
The Way ◽  
New Look

I have the feeling that to most astronomers the Sun is rather a nuisance. The reasons are quite complex. In the first place the Sun at once halves the astronomer’s observing time from 24 to 12 hours, and then during most of the rest of the time it continues its perversity by illuminating the Moon. Furthermore I have met numerous astronomers who regard solar astronomy to be now, as always before, in a permanent state of decline - rather like Viennese music or English cricket. Nevertheless those who study the Sun and its planetary system occasionally make significant contributions. There were, for instance, Galileo and Newton who gave us mechanics and gravitation; Fraunhofer who gave us atomic spectra; Eddington and Bethe who pointed the way to nuclear energy; and Alfvén who gave us magneto-hydrodynamics. Perhaps the point to be recognized is that the Sun has more immediately to offer to physics rather than to astronomy. That is why it is quite rare that a solar man finds himself with a large captive audience of mainline astronomers: and so the responsibility weighs heavily on my shoulders tonight.

scholarly journals A letter from the Rev. Mr. Richard Dunthorne to the Reverend Mr. Richard Mason F. R. S. and Keeper of the Woodwardian Museum at Cambridge, concerning the acceleration of the Moon

1750 ◽  
Vol 46 (492) ◽  
pp. 162-172 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Good Number ◽  
Made In

Sir, After I had compared a good Number of modern Observation made in different Situations of the Moon and of her Orbit in respect of the Sun, with the Newtonian Theory, as in my Letter of Nov. 4, 1746;

scholarly journals Cultural Astronomy with Reference to the Mishing Community of Assam

2018 ◽  
Vol 0222 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-40
Author(s):  
Saurabh Kumar Nath
Keyword(s):  
Religious Life ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Celestial Bodies ◽  
The Way

For humans, the sky has always been enigmatic and embedded with riddles. Cultural Astronomy offers an interdisciplinary approach which facilitates the understanding of the beliefs and practices concerning the sky and the celestial bodies and the way people use their understanding of the sky. This paper presents the folk expressions, narratives and oral traditions of the Mishing community of Assam which suggest that this community believes the celestial bodies, mainly the Sun and the Moon, have immense importance in their social and religious life and perceptions of the cosmos.

XCIII. A letter from the Rev. Nevil Maskelyne, M. A. F. R. S. to the Rev. Thomas Birch, D. D. Secretary to the Royal So­ciety: containing the results of observations of the distance of the Moon from the Sun and fixed Stars, made in a voyage from England to the Island of St. Helena, in order to determine the longitude of the ship, from time to time; together with the whole process of computation used on this occasion

1761 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 558-577 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Royal Society ◽  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Whole Process ◽  
St Helena ◽  
Nevil Maskelyne ◽  
Made In

Sir, During the course of my voyage from England to this place, I made frequent observations of the distance of the Moon from the Sun and fixed star. in order to determine our longitude: and, as from their agree­ment with each other, I humbly conceive it will be allowed, that the longitude may in general be ascer­tained by this method to sufficient exactness for nau­tical purposes, I flatter myself it may not be disagreeable to the Royal Society, if I communicate to them, through your hands, the results of my observations.

The Golden Priesthood and the Leaden State. A Note on the Influence of a Work Sometimes Ascribed to St. Ambrose: The Sermo de Dignitate Sacerdotali

1957 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Huntston Williams
Keyword(s):  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Divine Grace ◽  
Pastoral Letter ◽  
Henry Iv ◽  
The Difference ◽  
William The Conqueror ◽  
Made In

The cosmic imagery whereby Innocent III likened the Papacy to the sun and the Empire to the moon has been traced before. The purpose of the present inquiry is to examine Gregory VII's scarcely less striking comparison of the sacerdotium to gold and the regnum to lead in three letters, two to Bishop Hermann of Metz and one to William the Conqueror. The comparison is made in its simplest form in the first letter to Hermann in 1076, wherein Pope Gregory in reference to Henry IV and his counsellors writes as follows:Perchance they imagine that the royal dignity is higher than that of bishops; but how great the difference between them is, they may learn from the difference in their origins. The former came from human lust of power; the latter was instituted by divine grace. The former constantly strives after vain glory; the latter aspires ever toward the heavenly life. Let them learn … how St. Ambrose in his pastoral letter distinguished between them. He said: “If you compare the episcopal dignity with the splendor of kings and the crowns of princes, these are far more inferior to it than the metal lead is to splendorous gold.”

Modelling Lunar Extremes

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Fisher ◽  
Lionel Sims
Keyword(s):  
High Precision ◽  
Celestial Mechanics ◽  
Computer Modelling ◽  
Landscape Context ◽  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon

Claims first made over half a century ago that certain prehistoric monuments utilised high-precision alignments on the horizon risings and settings of the Sun and the Moon have recently resurfaced. While archaeoastronomy early on retreated from these claims, as a way to preserve the discipline in an academic boundary dispute, it did so without a rigorous examination of Thom’s concept of a “lunar standstill”. Gough’s uncritical resurrection of Thom’s usage of the term provides a long-overdue opportunity for the discipline to correct this slippage. Gough (2013), in keeping with Thom (1971), claims that certain standing stones and short stone rows point to distant horizon features which allow high-precision alignments on the risings and settings of the Sun and the Moon dating from about 1700 BC. To assist archaeoastronomy in breaking out of its interpretive rut and from “going round in circles” (Ruggles 2011), this paper evaluates the validity of this claim. Through computer modelling, the celestial mechanics of horizon alignments are here explored in their landscape context with a view to testing the very possibility of high-precision alignments to the lunar extremes. It is found that, due to the motion of the Moon on the horizon, only low-precision alignments are feasible, which would seem to indicate that the properties of lunar standstills could not have included high-precision markers for prehistoric megalith builders.

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