ASTRONOMY. 
A T H 1 79 
The Flew Southern Conciliations. 
Columba Noachi 
. 
Noah’s Dove - 
«• „ 
JO 
Robur Carolinum 
- 
The Royal Oak 
• 
12 
Grus 
- 
The Crane 
13 
Phoenix 
The Phenix 
* . 
13 
Indus 
- 
The Indian 
- 
12 
Pavo 
• 
The Peacock - 
• 
14 
ApUS, A ui s Indica 
• 
The Bird of Paradise 
• 
11 
Apis, Adm;a 
- 
The Bee or Fly 
_ 
4 
Chamaslcon 
. 
The Camelepn 
. . , 
10 
Triangulum Australis 
The South Triangle 
- 
5 
Piscis voians, Pauer 
• 
The Flying Fish 
• 
8 
Dorado, Xipblas 
- 
The Sword Fish 
- 
6 
Toucan 
- 
The American Goose 
- 
9 
Hydrus 
- 
The Water Snake - 
- 
10 
Hcvdius's Constellations made out of the unformed Stars. 
Hcvelii/s, 
Flamsteed. 
Lynx 
- 
The lynx 
19 
44 
Leo minor 
- 
The Little Lion 
. 
53 
Asterion & Ghara 
- 
The Greyhound 
23 
25 
Cerberus - 
- 
Cerberus 
4 
Vulpecula & Anser 
- 
The Fox and Goose 
27 
35 
Scutum Sobieski 
- 
Sobieski’s Shield 
7 
Lacerta 
. 
The Lizard 
10 
16 
Camelopardalus 
- 
The Camelopard 
32 
58 
Monoceros 
- 
The Unicorn - 
19 
31 
Sextans 
- 
The Sextant 
11 
41 
Stars not included in any constellation are 
called unformed stars. Besides the names of 
the constellations, the antient Greeks gave 
particular names to some single stars, or 
small collections of stars: thus, the cluster of 
small stars in the neckof the bull was called 
Pleiades ; five stars in the bull’s face, the 
- Ilyades ; a bright star in the breast of Leo, 
the Lion’s Heart ; and a large star between 
the knees of Bootes, Arcturus. 
The constellations may be represented on 
two plane spheres projected on a great circle, 
or on the convex surface of a solid sphere, as 
on the celestial globe, or most perfectly on 
the concave surface of a hollow sphere. If 
the celestial globe is made use of, after rec- 
tifying it to the time of the night, the stars 
may be found, by conceiving a line drawn 
from the centre of the globe through any 
star in the heavens, and its representation 
upon the globe. Greek letters have- been 
added by Layer to stars in the several con- 
stellations of ins catalogue (« being affixed to 
the largest star), by means of which any star 
may be easily found. 
Twelve of these constellations lie upon the 
ecliptic, including a space about 151, broad, 
called the Zodiac, within which all the pla- 
nets move. The constellation Aries, about 
2.000 years ago, lay in the first sign of the 
ecliptic ; but, on account of the precession of 
the equin. xes, it now lies in the second. In 
the foregoing table, Antinous was made out 
of the unformed stars near Aouita : and 
Coma Berenices, out of the unformed stars 
near the Lion’s tail, They are both men- 
tioned by Ptolemy, but as unformed stars. 
The constellations as far as the triangle, with 
Coma, Berenices, are northern; those after 
Pisces are southern. 
The fixed stars are placed at a distance 
from us so great, that it cannot be ascertained 
by any means yet known ; hence they must 
shine bv their own light, and not by the light 
which they receive from our sun, as the pla- 
nets do. Though it has been said that the 
relative situations of the fixed stars do not 
vary, yet in the course of several ages, some 
variations have been observed among them. 
Some of the larger stars have not the same 
precise situations that antient observations at- 
tribute to them, and new stars have appeared, 
while some others which have been described 
are now no longer to be found. Some stars 
are likewise found to have a periodical in- 
crease and decrease. Many of the fixed stars, 
upon examination with the telescope, are 
found to consist of two. 
Besides the phenomena already mention- 
ed, there are many nebulae, or parts of the 
heavens, which are brighter than the rest. The 
most remarkable of these is a broad irregular 
zone or belt, called the milky way. There 
arc others much smaller ; and some so small, 
that they can be seen only by telescopes. If 
the telescope is directed to these nebulae, 
they are resolvable into clusters of stars, 
which appear as white clouds in instruments 
of less force. 
Dr. Herschell has rendered it highly pro- 
bable, both from observation and well- I 
grounded conjecture, that the starry heaven I 
is replete with these nebula; or systems of 
stars, and that the milky way is that particular 
nebula in which our sun is placed. Reason- 
ing analogically from the circumstances with 
which we are acquainted, we may deduce, 
that the universe consists of nebula; or dis- 
tinct systems of stars; that each nebula is 
composed of a prodigious number of suns, or 
bodies that shine by their own native splen- 
dour, and that each individual sun is destined 
to give light to numbers of worlds that re- 
volve about it. See Vince’s Astronomy, 
Gregory’s Astronomy, &c. 
ASTROSCOPE an instrument composed 
of two cones, having the constellations deli- 
neated on their surfaces, whereby the stars 
may be easily known. 
ASTRO M, a constellation or assemblage 
of stars. This term is often applied to the 
•canis major, or rather to the bright star in his 
mouth. 
ASTYNOMr, in Grecian antiquity, ma- 
gistrates in Athens, corresponding to the 
axliles of the Romans; they were ten in 
number. 
ASY LUM, a sanctuary or place of refuge, 
where criminals sheltered themselves from the 
hands of justice. It is pretended that the first 
Z 2 
asylum was built at Athens by the Heraclidas, 
as a refuge for those who tied from the op- 
pression of their fathers. Romulus when he 
built Rome, left a certain space as an asylum 
to ah persons, whether freemen or slaves. 
I he Jews had their asyla, the most remark- 
able of which were the six cities of refuge, 
the temple, and the altar of burnt offerings. 
I his privilege began likewise to be enjoyed 
by the Christian churches in the reign of 
Constantine, at which time the altar only 
and the inward fabric of the church were a 
place of refuge; but afterwards the whole 
precincts, nay, even the graves of the dead, 
crosses, schools, &c. were comprehended in 
that privilege. As asyla were not intended 
originally to patronize wickedness, but as a 
refuge for the innocent, the injured, and the 
oppressed, several crimes were excepted by- 
law, for which the church could grant no 
protection; as, 1 . Protection was denied to 
public debtors. 2. To Jews who pretended 
jo turn Christians, in order to avoid suffer- 
ing legal punishment for their crimes. 3. To 
heretics and apostates. 4. To slaves who 
fled from their masters. And 5. To robbers, 
murderers, conspirators, ravishers, &c. 
ASYMPTOTE, in geometry, aline which 
continually approaches nearer to another, 
but though continued infinitely will never 
meet with it ; of these there are many kinds- 
In strictness, however, the term asymptotes 
is appropriated to. right lines, which approach 
nearer and nearer to some curve, of which 
they are said to be the asymptotes; but if 
they and tiieir curve are indefinitely conti- 
nued, they will never meet. See Conic 
Sections. 
Concerning asymptotes, and asymptotical 
curves, it may be remarked, 1. That al- 
though such curves as have asymptotes are 
of t he number of those which do not include 
a space ; yet it is not true, on the other 
hand, that wherever we have a curve of that 
nature, we have an asymptote also. 2. Of 
these curves that have an asymptote, some 
have only one, as the conchoid, cissoid, and 
logarithmic curve ; and others two, as the 
hyperbola. 3. As a right line and a curve 
may be asymptotical to one another, so also 
may curves and curves; such are two para- 
bolas, whose axes are in the same right line. 
4. No right line can ever be an asymptote to 
a curve that is every r where concave to that 
right line. 5. But a right line may be an 
asymptote to a mixed curve, that is partly 
concave, and partly convex, towards the 
same line. And 6. All curves that have one 
and the same common asymptote are also 
asymptotical to one another. 
ASYNDETON, in grammar, a figure 
which omits the conjunction in a sentence. 
ATCHE, in commerce, a small silver coin 
used in Turkey, and worth only one-third of 
the English penny. 
ATCHIEYEMENT, in heraldry, denotes 
the arms of a person, or family ; together 
with all the exterior ornaments of the shield, 
as helmet, mantle, crest, scrolls, and motto, 
together with such quarterings as may have 
been acquired by alliances, ail marshalled in 
order. It is vulgarly called hatchment ; and 
such are the arms which are commonly hung- 
up in the fronts of houses, and in churches, 
ou the death of persons. 
ATHAMADULET, the prime minister 
