it rise. Its distance is 2850 millions of miles, and the sun as
seen by them is not larger than Venus appears to us when an evening
star. And although this planet is so distant that it can only be
seen with large telescopes, they can not only compute its distance
and size, but also the mass of matter of which it is composed. But
you will find all this thrown into the shade by the way in which it
was discovered. As I may be telling you what you know already, I
will merely state, that from observed perturbations in the course
of the planet Uranus, it was supposed that another planet was in
existence beyond it; and two competitors set to work to calculate
its size, situation, etc. The result was, the discovery of this
other planet within a few minutes of the place pointed out by them,
and its size, etc., not very different from what they estimated it
at. But besides this, astronomy includes matters more intimately
mixed up with our everyday affairs. In the Nautical Almanacs, which
are constructed for several years in advance, the situations and
nearly everything connected with the different planets are
calculated for every day in the year, and can be found, if
required, for any minute in any day you please, for 10,000 years to
come. Also the eclipses of the sun or moon, with the exact moment
at which they will commence or end, at any spot on the earth; the
exact portion eclipsed, or, in fact, anything about it you like to
mention for any given number of years in advance. Not only this,
but you can find the eclipses of Jupiter's moons with the same
precision. Now is there anything to be compared with this? But if
astronomy led to no other end than the mere gaining of knowledge,
or the assistance of commerce, it would take a far lower stand than
it is really entitled to. As the great object of the science is the
correction of error and the investigation of truth, it necessarily
leads all those that feel an interest in it to a higher