AST
( i*5 )
ASY
Earth, Planet, Orbit, && See alfo Sphere, Globe^
The modern AJlronomy is delivered in Co^ernkus's fix Books of GaJgjlial Revolutions, published about the Year i<$66 ; wherein, by retrieving Pythagoras's and Philolaus's Dogma of the Motion of the Earth, he laid the Foundation of a jufter Syftem.— Kep- ler's Commentaries of the Motions of Mars, publifhed in 1609; wherein, in lieu of the circular Orbits admitted by all former Afironomers, he propofed the elliptic Theory ; which, in his Epi- tome of the Gepermcatt Afirommy, published in 1635* he applied to all the Planets.— J/fr. Bullialdus's\ Afironomia Phihlaica, pub- lifhed in 1645, wherein he endeavoured to amend Kepler's Theo- ry, and render the Calculus more Exact and Geometrical : Some Errors committed by Bullialdus were pointed out by Dr. Seth. Ward> in his Inquiry into the Phihlak Agronomy-, publifhed in 1653 j and corrected by himfelf in his Foundations of the Phi- ioaic Afirommy more clearly explain'd, in 16^7. — Wardts Afro- nomia Geomctrka, publiQied in 1656; wherein a Geometrical Me- thod is propofed of computing the Planets Motions ; though not confiftent with the true Laws of their Motions eftablifhed by Kepler. The fame was propofed the Year following by the Count de Pagan. The Truth is, Kepler himfelf does not feem to have been ignorant thereof ; but rather chofe to fet it afide, as finding it contrary to Nature. — Vtu. .Wingh Afircnomia Britannka, pub- lifh'd in 1669; whtrein, going on Bu/lialdus's Principles, he gives juii Examples of all the Precepts in practical Afironomy, welt ac- commodated to the Capacity of Learners — Ne-wton's Afironomia Britannka, publifhed in 165 7; and Street's Ajlronomia Carolina, in 166 1 ; boi-h upon Ward's Hypothecs.
In Ricctoius's Almagefium Magmtm, publifhed in 165 r, we have the leveral Hypotheies of ail the Afironomers, ancient as well as mo- dern. — And in Dr. Gregory's Element a Aftronomia Pbyficd &Gcome- trica, in 1702, the whole modern Aftronomy, as founded on the Diibovaiesoi' Copernicus, Kepler, and Sir IJaae Neiuton. — The Mar- row of the new Afironomy is alfo laid down by Wh'ifiov, in his PraleTwn. Afironomica, in 1707. — For Novices in the Art, Mer- cators Infiitutiones AJironomica, publifhed in 1676 $ which contains the whole Doctrine, both according to the Antients and Mo- derns ; and Dr. KeilPs httroduHio ad Fcram Afironomiam, in I718, which only takes in the Modern, are the belt calculated.
ASTRONOMICAL, fomething that relates to Afironomy. See Astronomy.
Astronomical Obfervations. See Celestial Obferva- tions.
The Afironomkal Obfervations of the Antients, among which thofe of Hipparchus make a principal Figure, are preferred by Ptolomy in his Almagefi. See Almagest.
In the Year 880, Albategnius, a Sarazen, applied himfelf to the making of Obfervations: In 1457* Regiomontanus undertook the Province at Norimberg ; and his Difciples f. Wernerus, and Bit. Wahherus, continued the fame from 147510 1504. Their Ob- fervarions were pablifhed together in 1544- — In 1509, Copernicus, and after him the Landgrave of Hejfe, with his AffiftantS Roth- mantius andfiyrgiW} obJerved ; and alter thzmTyrbo, at Uranibourg, from 1582 to 1601. — All the Obfervations hitherto rehearfed, together with Tychd's Apparatus of Inftruments, are ccntain'd in the Brftoria Celefiis, publiflied in 1672, by Order of the Empe- ror Ferdinand, — Soon after, Hevelius, with a ftill more magnificent and better contrived Apparatus of Inftruments, defcribed in his Ma- china Ca'lefis, began a Courfe of Obfervations. It is objected to him that he only tried plain Sights, and could never be brought to take the Advantage of Teleicopic ones; which cccafioncd Dr. Hook to write Animadverfions on Hevelius's Inftruments, printed in 1674,' wherein he defpiies them on account of their Inaccu- racy : But Dr. Hailey, who at the Inltance of the Royal Society went over to Dantzkk in the Year 1679* to infpect his Inftru- ments ; approved of their Juttnefs, as well as of the Obfervati- ons made with them.
Jer.Horrox, aadTPiIl. Crabirec, two of our own Countrymen, are famous for their Obfervations from the Years 1635 to 1645. —They were followed by Flamfieed, Cajfini the Father and Son, Hailey, de la Hire, Roemer, and Kircbius. — See further under the Articles Observatory, Catalogue, &c
Astronomical Tables, Astronomical Quadrant, Astronomical Telcfcope, Astronomical Calendar, Astronomical Hours, Astronomical Month, Astronomical Tear, Astronomical Character s,&cc.
^So
[Agronomical Table.
Afironomkal QUADRANT.
Afironomkal Telescope.
Afironomkal Calendar. \ Agronomical Hours
Afironomkal MoNTH.
Afironomkal Year.
Afirort. Characters. &c.
Astronomical Place, of a Star or Planet, is its Longitude, or Place in the Ecliprick reckoned from the beginning Aries, in Confequentia, or according to the natural Order of the Signs. See Placf., Longitude, ©-c.
Astronomical Time. See Afironomkal Time.
ASTRONOMICALS, a Name ufed by fome Writers for Sexagefimal Fractions ,- on account of their ufe in Afironomkal Calculations. See Sexagesimal.
ASYLUM, orAzYLUM, a Sanctuary, or Place of Refuge and Protection, where a Criminal who fhelters himfelf is deem'd inviolable, and not to be touch'd by any Officer of Juftice. See Refuge, Privilege, &c.
The Word Afylum is Latin : Servius derives it from the Greek
- «**» ■ which is compounded of the privative Particle «, and mXxa,
I takeout, I drain, becaufe no Perfon cou'd be taken out of an, Afylum without Sacrilege. See Sacrilege.
The firft Afylums were eftablifh'd at Athens, by the Depen- dents of Hercules, to fhelter themfelves from the fury of his Ene- mies. See Heraclides.
The Atars, Statues, and Tombs of Hero's, were, antiently, the ordinary Retreat of thofe who found themfelves aggriev'd by the Rigour of the Laws, or opprefs'd by the Violence of Ty- rants: But of all others, Temples were held the mofl facred and inviolable Refuge. It was fuppofed that the Gods took upon them to punifh the Criminal who thus threw himfelf upon. them i and it had been a great Impiety in Man to take Vengeance out of the Hands of the Immortals. See Altar, Temple, Tomb, Statue, &c.
The Ifraehtes had their Cities of Refuge, which were of God's own Appointment; where the Guilty, who had not committed any deitDerare Crime, found Safety and Protection.— As to the Heathens, they allowed Refuge and Impunity, even to the vilelt and molt flagrant Offenders, for the fake of peopling their Ci- ties ,• and it was by this means, and with fuch Inhabitants, that Thebes, Athens, and Rome, were 6rit ltock'd. — We even read of Afylums at Lyons and Vienne among the antient Gauls ^ and there are fome Cities in Germany which ftill preferve the antient right of Afylum.
Hence, on the Medals of feveral antient Cities, particularly in Syria, we meet the Infcription, OAzrAOi, [ which is added, I'EPAI. For Inftance, Trror iepas KAI ASTAOS siiOONOS IEPA2 KAI ASTAOr.— This Quality of Afylum was given them, according to M. Spanheim, in regard of their Temples, and of the Gods revered by them.
The fame Qualities has alfo been given to Deities : Thus Di- ana of Ephcfits is calfd *<r»M. —Add, that the Camp form'd by Romulus and Remus, and which 'afterwards became a City, was firft call'd Afyhm ; and a Tempie was therein erected to the God
Afylaius, ©«s KtrvXttioc,.
The Emperors Honorius and Theodofius granting tbefe Immu- nities to Church-yards, the Bifliops and Monks laid hold of a cer- tain Tra6t or Territory, without which they fix'd the Bounds of the Secular Jurifdiction : And fo well did they manage their Pri- vileges, that Convents, in a little time, became next a-kin to FortielTes,- where the molt glaring Villains were in Safety, and braved the Power of the Magiftrate. See Church- TartL
Thefe Privileges, at length, were extended not only to the Church-yards, but alfo to the Bifhop's Houfes, whence the Cri- minal cou'd not be removed without a legal AfTurance of Life, and an entire RemifKon of the Crime. — The Reafon of the Ex- tenfion was, that they might not be obliged to live altogether in the Churches, && where feveral of theOccaiions of Life cou'd not be decently done.
But, at length, the Afyla, or Sanctuaries, were Itripp'd of mofl: of their Immunities, in regard they ferved to make Guilt and Libertinage more daring and bold-faced. In England, particular- ly, they were entirely abolilfied. See the Article Sanctuary.
ASYMMETRY,' Asymmetria, a want of Symmetry or Proportion. See Symmetry.
In Mat hema ticks, the Term is particularly ufed for what we more ufually call Incomrrmi fur ability ; which is when between two Quantities there is no common Meafure : As, between the Side, and Diagonal of a Square. — In Numbers, furd Roots, as \/ 2, &c. are incommenfurable to rational Numbers. See Incom- mensurable, Square, Surd, <&c.
The Word is derived from the privative Particle «, rw, and ptTpct, q. d. without Meafure.
ASYMPTOTE, in Geometry, a Line which continually ap- proaches nearer and nearer to another, yet will never meet there- with, though indefinitely prolonged. See Line.
The Word is compounded of the privative Particle «, rw, with,
and m«*j I fall; q. d. In-coinodent> or which never meet. Some
Latin Authors call them Intafia,
Bert'mus gives us divers forts of s4jy?nptotes; fome Strait, o- thers Curve ; fome Concave, others Convex, &c. and further, propofes an Initrument to defcribe them withal.— Though, in itrictoefs, the Term Afymptotes feems appropriated to right Lines.
Afymptotes, then, are properly right Lines, which approach nearer and nearer to fome Curve, of which they are faid to be the Afymptotes-, but which, though they and their Curve, were" indefinitely continued, would never meet. See Curve.
Afymptotes may be conceived as Tangents to their Curves at an infinite Diftance. See Tangent.
Two Curves are alfo faid to be Afymptothal, when they thus continually approach, without a poilibility of meeting — Thus - two Parabola's, whofe Axes are in the fame right Line, are Afymp- totical to one another.
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