and, subtracting 1 from each side of the equation, + &c., in infinitum ; By A. GRAHAM, Esq., Markree Observatory, Collooney. IN the last Number of the "Youth's Instructer" we noticed the total eclipse of the Moon which occurs on the morning of the 2d. The principal advantage to be derived from this phenomenon, in an astronomical point of view, is the facility thus afforded for the detection of lunar volcanoes, if such exist. Were the boundary of the Earth's shadow upon the surface of the Moon sharply defined, a ready means would be afforded for comparing the longitudes of places throughout a very large portion of the Earth; but our atmosphere causes the light to fade away gradually. A solar eclipse, besides being more rare in a particular spot, possesses many more points of interest than the lunar. The inhabitants of the greater part of Asia may witness one on the morning of the 16th, between our midnight and sunrise. It will be only partial, the greatest extent of the obscuration being three-fourths of the Moon's diameter. Those who are curious to see MERCURY with the naked eye, may keep a sharp look out after sunset in the west, toward the end of the month. We see he does not set on the 31st till near ten o'clock. On the 25th he will be close to Saturn. He will be in superior conjunction with the Sun on the 13th, at noon; consequently before and after this time his form will be gibbous. VENUS is still gibbous, approaching a semicircle. On the 2d she will be close to Saturn, but incomparably more splendid, though their apparent diameters will then be almost precisely equal, each being fifteen seconds of space. On the 19th she will be near the Moon. Her distance from the Sun will be a minimum at 5h. on the morning of the 5th. The Sun is now receding eastward from MARS, so that the planet rises before our luminary. JUPITER does not rise till some time after his brilliant rival Venus has disappeared, to leave him the undisturbed ruler of the morning heavens. He is approaching the Earth and Sun, and of course increasing in magnitude and brilliancy. His apparent diameter increases from 35 to 39 seconds. The dull reddish star, close to Venus in the beginning of the month, is SATURN. He will soon be overtaken by the Sun, and lost in his rays. RISING AND SETTING OF THE SUN, FOR THE PARALLELS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. May 14 37 7 184 31 7 244 25 7 31 4 17 7 404 5 7 49 3 56 7 58 3 45 89 SUN. SUN AND PLANETS AT GREENWICH. MERCURY. VENUS. MARS. JUPITER. SATURN. URANUS, H. T. & J. Roche, Printers, 25, Hoxton-square, London. YOUTH'S INSTRUCTER AND GUARDIAN. JUNE, 1855. THE PARTHENON. (With an Engraving.) WHо reads the seventeenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, and observes how St. Paul "stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious: for as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found," &c., will do well to pause for a moment and consider why St. Luke, writing this history, made special mention of Mars' hill, and of the devotions. Mars' hill, or the Areopagus, was a hill where sat the Athenian Judges. From that elevation the Apostle could look down upon the market-place-the agora—as it spread beneath, crowded with a mixed multitude of Athenians, with their loquacious Epicureans and lofty Stoics,. and of Romans and Jews, not come to the agora to buy, for it was not a common market-place, but to "spend their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing." He could also see, just across the agora,-indeed he could not help seeing, if his face were turned at all towards the east or south-east,-the higher hill of the Acropolis, that overtopped the whole city, and was covered with the most splendid works of architecture and sculpture that could be found on a single spot in any part of the known world. There was, glittering at noontide, the colossal statue of Minerva Promachus, the goddess Minerva VOL. XIX. Second Series. M |