Note N. 9 — SECTION I.
Reading edition
Note 9, p. 4. Spheroid. A solid body, which sometimes has the shape of an orange, as in fig. 1; 430it is then called an oblate spheroid, because it is flattened at the poles N and S. Such is the form of the earth and planets. When, on the contrary, it is drawn out at the poles like an egg, as in fig. 2, it is called a prolate spheroid. It is evident that in both these solids the radii C q, C a, C N, &c., are generally unequal; whereas in the sphere they are all equal.