S T A
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S T A
mttm Mobile : By this they are carried along with the Sphere or Firmament wherein they appear fix'd, round the Earth, from Eaft to Weft, in the Space of 24 Hours.
The other, call'd the Second or proper Motion, is that whereby they go backwards from Welt to Eaft round the Poles of the Ecliptic, with an exceeding Slownefs, as not defcribing above a Degree of their Circle in the Space of •j l or 72 Years, or 551 Seconds in a Year.
Some have imagin d, I don't know on what Grounds, that when they are got round to the Points, whence they firft departed, Nature will have finifli'd her Courfe, and the Stars having perForm'd their Career, the Heavens will re- main at reft, unlefs the Being, who firft gave them Motion, appoint them to begin another Circuit.
On the footing of this Calculation, the World fhould latt about Thirty thoufand Years, according to Ptolomy-^ 25816 according to Tycho ; 25930 according to Riccioli, and 24800 according toCaffini. See Prjecession cf the Equinox.
In effect., the Latitudes of the fix'd Stars, we find, by comparing the Obfervations of the ancient Aftronomers with thofe of the Moderns, continues ftill the fame 5 but their Longitude is by this Second Motion always increafing.
Thus, e. gr. the Longitude of Cor Leonis, was found by ^Ptolemy, A. D- 13S, to be 2 30' j in n 15 'twas obferv'd by the Perfians to be 17 30' 5 in 1364, by Alphonfits, 20 40' •■> in 1586 by the Prince of IleJJk 24" n' ■ in 1601 by ^c^o 24 17'jandin iSyoby'Nlr.Flamfieadis 3i'2o; whence the proper Motion of the Stars, according to the Order of the Signs in the Circles, parallel to the Ecliptic, is eafily inferred,
'Twas Hipparchm firft fufpected this Motion, upon com- paring the Obfervations of Tymocharus and AriftilluS with his own. Ptolomy, who lived Three Centuries after Ji'ip- parchus, demonstrated the fame by undeniable Arguments. See Longitude.
Some, 'tis true, have imagined a Change in the Latitudes of the Stars $ but fuch an Opinion has little Countenance from Obfervation. See Latitude.
Tycloo 'Brahe makes the Increafe of Longitude in a Cen- tury i° 23' 40" 12"'; Flamfiead and Ricciolus i° 23' 20" j 'Mullialdus i Q 24' 54" ; Hevelius i° 24' 46" 50'" 5 whence, with Flamfiead, the Annual Increafe of the Longitudes of the fix'd Stars may be well fix'd at 50.
From thefe Data, the Increafe of the Longitude of a Star for any given Time, is eafily had ; and hence the Longitude of a Star for any given Year, being given, its Longitude for any other Year, is readily found: Ji.gr. the Longitude of Sirius in Mx.Flamflead's Tables for the Year 1690 being 9 49' i"j its Longitude for the Year 1724 is found, by multiplying the Interval of Time, viz. 34 Years by 50", the Product 1700" or 28' 2 added to the given Longitude, will give the Longitude required, io° 17' 3".
'The principal 'Phenomena of the fix'd Stars, arifingfroni their common And proper Morion, befides their Longitude, are their Altitudes, Right Aicentions, Declinations, Occulta- tions, Culminations, Rifings and Settings ; •'Which fee under their projw Articles, Altitude, Ascention, Declina- tion, Occultatiqn, l$c.
The fever al Stars in each Conftellation, e. gr. in Taurus, Bootes, Hercules, i$c. their Longitudes, Latitudes, Magni- tudes, Names, Places, &c. as fix'd by Mr. Flamftead in the Britannic Catalogue ; fee under the proper Article of each Conftellation, Taurus, Bootes, Hercules, &c.
To learn to knoiv the feveral fix'd Stars by the Globe ; fee Globe.
The 'Parallax and Diftance of the fix'd Stars; fee under Parallax and Distance.
Star, in Fortification, a little Hexagonal Fort, with Six Points,or Salliant and Re-entring Angles flanking one another, and their Faces 90 or 100 Foot long. See Fort.
They are frequently made in Lines of Circumvallation, after two or three Redoubts. See Redoubt.
Star, in Pyrotechny, a Compofition of combuftible Matters, which being borne or thrown aloft into the Air, ex- hibits the Appearance of a real Star.
Stars are chiefly ufed as Appendages to Rockets, a Num- ber of them being ufually inclofed in a Conical Cap or Cover at the Head of the Rocket, and carried up with it to its utmoft Altitude, where the Stars taking Fire, are fpread around, and exhibit an agreeable Spectacle. See Rocket. To make Stars -j Mix 3 Pounds of Salt-petre, u Ounces of Sulphur, one of Antimony and three of Gunpowder Duff; Or 13 Ounces of Sulphur, 6 of Salt-petre, $\ of Gunpowder Duft, 4 Ounces of Olibanum, one of Mallic, Camphir, Sublimate of Mercury, and Half a one of Anti-
Pmony andOrpiment. Moitten the Mafswirh Gum-water, and make it into little Balls, of the Size of a Chefnut, which dry either in the Sun or the Oven. Thefe fet on fire in the Air, will reprefent Stars. Star, in Heraldry, a Term frequently ufed, as fignifying a Moveable or Charge, frequently borne on the Shield, and the honourable Ordinaries,
It differs from the Mullet, or Spur-rowel, in that it It hoi pierced as this lait is. See Mullet.
It ufually confifts of five Rays or Spokes. When it has Six or Eight, as among the Germans and Lallans, particular Mention mult be made thereof in Blazoning.
On Medals, ^Mn are Marks of Confecration and Deifica- tion, being intended as Symbols of Eternity. F- Joubert fays, they fometimes exprefs the. Children of Princes reigning j and fometimes the Children dead, and placed in the Rank of Deities, See Deification.
Star, a Badge ot the Honourable Order of the Garter a See Garter.
Order of the Star, or our Lady of the Star, an Order of Knighthood inftituted by King 'John of France in the Year J352, denominated from a Star they wore on the Stomach.
At firft there were but 30 Knights 5 but the Order in time became depreciated, by the Multitude of Perfons admitted, without any Diftinction. For which Reafbn, Charles VII. when Grand-mafter thereof, quitted it, and gave it the Chevalier.^ Guet, Knight of the Watch at 'Paris-, and his Archers, who ftill wear a Star on their CafTock. But this Account is contradicted by others 5 who will have the Order inftituted by King Robert in 1022 in Honour of the Holy Virgin, and to have failen into Diliegard during the Wars of Philip dc Vahis.
jfufiiniani mentions another Order of the Star, at MeffnS in Sicily, call'd alfb the Order of the Crefcent. It was In- ftituted in the Year 1268, by Charles of Anjou, Brother of St. Louis, King of the Two Sicilies.
Others will have it Inftituted in 1464, by Renatlis Duke of Anjou, who took the Title of King of Sicily. At leaft, it appears from the Arms of this Prince, that he made fbme Alteration in the Collar of the Order ; for inftcad of Ffoiver- de-Luces and Stars, he only bore Two Chains, whence hung a Crefcent, with the old French Word Lcz, which in the Language of Rebus, fignified Loz in a Crefcent.
The Order being dropt into Obfcurity, was railed again by the People of Meffina, under the Name of the Noble Academy of the Knights of the Star, reducing the ancient Collar to a fingle Star placed on a forked Crofs, and the Number of Knights to Sixty-two. Their Device was,, Mm-* firant Regibus AfiraViam, which they expreis'd by the Four Initial Letters ^ *y with the Star in the Middle.
Star, in the Manage. White Stars in the Forehead, are efteem'd good Marks iji all Horf es, except White and Grey ones: where Nature tails to produce this good Criterion, ourjockies have frequent Recourfeto Art.
The Method of making Stars, pra£lifed among the Dutth 9 is to roaft a large Onion in hot Afhes, and when near thoroughly done, to divide it in two, and dip it in fcalding hot Wallnut Oil. This done, they immediately apply the flat Side thereof to the Place the Star is to be on, and keep it there Half an Hour. After taking it off, they anoint the Scalded Place with Ointment of Rofes : In a fhort Time, the Scarf Skin falls ofT, and White Hair grows up in their Room; but the Middle always continues bare of Hair, which is the certain Chara&eriftic of an Artificial Star-
The Method molt ufed among us, is to fhave the Hair from the Place 'tis to be made on j then to apply a little Oil of Vitriol with a Feather, or the like, paffing it lightly over the bald Place. This eats away the Roots of the for- mer Hair, which will be fucceeded by White. The Sore is heal'd up with Copperas and green Ointment.
To make a black Star, on a White or other colour'd Horfe $ Wafh the Place to be changed, frequently, with Fern Roots and Sage boil'd in Lye ; and it will breed black Hairs. The fame may be done, by beating four Milk, Galls and Ruft to- gether, and anointing the Part therewith.
A Red Staris made with an Ounce of Aquafortis, a pen- nyworth of Aqua-vita;, and Silver to the Value of Eighteen- pence, all heated together in a Glafs, and the Place anointed therewith. This immediately turns the Hair to a perfect Red 5 but itlatts no longer than till the Horfe caft his Coat 5 when it is to be renewed.
STAR-BOARD, is the Right-hand Side of a Ship, as Larboard is the Left :
Thus they fay, Starboard the Helm, or Helm a Starboard when the Man at the Helm fhould put the Helm to the Right Side of the Ship.
STARCH, a Fecula or Sediment found at the Bottom ot Veifels, wherein the watte or refufe Wheat has been fteep'd in Water : Of which Fecula, after feparating the Bran from it, they form a kind of Loaves, which being dned in the Sun, or on a Furnace, is reduced into little Pieces, and fo fold for Starch. ,, _, , ,
The belt is white, foft and friable, eafily broke into Powder. Such as require very fine Starch, don't content them(Hves,like the Starch-men, with the Refufe of Wheat, but ufs the fineft Grain, The Procefs is as follows 5
