MADE USE OF IN ASTRONOMY.

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Venus, a primary planet, the second in order from thesun, and whose magnitude is about one-ninth less thanthat of the earth.

Vertical Circles, the same as Azimuth Circles, orsuch as are drawn perpendicular to the horizon.

Virgo, the Virgin, a zodiacal constellation, consistingof ninety-three stars.

Ursa Major, the Great Bear, a northern constella-tion, consisting of one hundred and live stars ; some-times also called Charles’s Wain.

Ursa Minor, the Little Bear, a northern constellationnear the pole, consisting of twelve stars.

Vulpes, the Fox, a northern constellation, consisting oftwenty-nine stars.

X.

Xiphias, the Sword-fifh, a southern constellation, con-sisting of seven stars.

Y.

Year, the space of time taken up by the sun in goingthrough the twelve signs of the zodiac.—See Side-real Year, &c.

Z.

Zenith, that point of the heavens which is perpendicu-larly over our heads.

Zodiac, a zone or girdle, surrounding the heavens, ofabout eighteen degrees broad, in the middle of whichis the ecliptic, and in which the orbits of all the pla-nets are included.

Zone, a division of the sphere, contained between anytwo parallels of latitude.

FINIS.