THE CONTENTS.
Reading edition
CHAP. I.
Of Astronomy in general Page 1
CHAP. II.
A brief Description of the Solar System 5
CHAP. III.
The Copernican or Solar System demonstrated to be true 31
CHAP. IV.
The Phenomena of the Heavens as seen from different parts of the Earth 39
CHAP. V.
The Phenomena of the Heavens as seen from different parts of the Solar System 45
CHAP. VI.
The Ptolemean System refuted. The Motions and Phases of Mercury and Venus explained 50
CHAP. VII.
The physical Causes of the Motions of the Planets. The Excentricities of their Orbits. The times in which the Action of Gravity would bring them to the Sun. Archimedes’s ideal Problem for moving the Earth. The world not eternal 54
CHAP. VIII.
Of Light. It’s proportional quantities on the different Planets. It’s Refractions in Water and Air. The Atmosphere, it’s Weight and Properties. The Horizontal Moon 62
CHAP. IX.
The Method of finding the Distances of the Sun, Moon and Planets 73
CHAP. X.
The Circles of the Globe described. The different lengths of days and nights, and the vicissitude of Seasons, explained. The explanation of the Phenomena of Saturn’s Ring concluded 78
CHAP. XI.
The Method of finding the Longitude by the Eclipses of Jupiter’s Satellites: The amazing velocity of Light demonstrated by these Eclipses 87
CHAP. XII.
Of Solar and Sidereal Time 93
CHAP. XIII.
Of the Equation of Time 97
CHAP. XIV.
Of the Precession of the Equinoxes 108
CHAP. XV.
The Moon’s Surface mountainous: Her Phases described: Her Path, and the Paths of Jupiter’s Moons delineated: The proportions of the Diameters of their Orbits, and those of Saturn’s Moons to each other; and to the Diameter of the Sun 124
CHAP. XVI.
The Phenomena of the Harvest-Moon explained by a common Globe: The Years in which the Harvest-Moons are least and most beneficial, from 1751 to 1861. The long duration of Moon-light at the Poles in Winter Page 136
CHAP. XVII.
Of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea 147
CHAP. XVIII.
Of Eclipses: Their Number and Period. A large Catalogue of Ancient and Modern Eclipses 156
CHAP. XIX.
The Calculation of New and Full Moons and Eclipses. The geometrical Construction of Solar and Lunar Eclipses. The examination of ancient Eclipses 189
CHAP. XX.
Of the fixed Stars 230
CHAP. XXI.
Of the Division of Time. A perpetual Table of New Moons. The Times of the Birth and Death of Christ. A Table of remarkable Æras or Events 248
CHAP. XXII.
A Description of the Astronomical Machinery serving to explain and illustrate the foregoing part of this Treatise 260