Book IV. Of the theory of universal gravitation. Book V. Abridgment of the history of astronomy

Front Cover
Richard Phillips, Bridge Street, Blackfriars. ... W. Flint, printer, Old Bailey., 1809 - 380 pages

From inside the book

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 340 - Considering it with attention, we are astonished to see all the planets move round the Sun from west to east, and nearly in the same plane, all the satellites moving round their respective planets in the same direction, and nearly in the same plane with the planets.
Page 234 - I differ in opinion from a learned and illustrious astronomer, who, after having honoured his career by labours useful both to science and humanity, perished a victim to the most sanguinary tyranny, opposing the calmness and dignity of virtue, to the revilings of an infatuated people, who wantonly prolonged the last agonies of his existence.
Page 357 - Seduced by the illusions of the senses, and of self. love, man considered himself for a long time as the centre of the motion of the celestial bodies, and his pride was justly punished by the vain terrors they inspired. The labour of many ages has at length withdrawn the veil which covered the system. Man appears...
Page 84 - ... that the mean longitude of the first satellite, minus three times that of the second, plus twice that of the third, is always equal to two right angles.
Page 326 - ... combined action of the Sun and Earth on this satellite. But with the exception of what concerns the elliptic motion of the planets and comets, the attraction of spherical bodies, and the intensity of gravity at the surface of the Sun, and of those planets that are accompanied by satellites, all 342 these discoveries were only sketched by Newton.
Page 347 - From a consideration of the planetary motions, we are therefore brought to the conclusion, that in consequence of an excessive heat, the solar atmosphere originally extended beyond the orbits of all the planets, and that it has successively contracted itself within its present limits.
Page 343 - ... to the ecliptic, we find that the mean inclination of the orbits of all the observed comets, approaches near to 100°, which would be the case if the bodies had been projected at random.
Page 324 - He extended this proposition afterwards by analogy, to all the celestial bodies, and established as a principle, that all particles of matter attract each other directly as their mass, and inversely as the square of their distance.
Page 50 - It is easy to represent the effect of such a shock upon the Earth — the axis and motion of rotation changed — the waters abandoning their ancient position to precipitate themselves towards the new equator — the greater part of men and animals drowned in a universal deluge, or destroyed by the violence of the shock given to the terrestrial globe — whole species destroyed — all the monuments of human industry reversed — such are the effects which the shock of a comet would produce." " We...
Page 234 - The Indian tables indicate a knowledge of astronomy considerably advanced, but every thing shews that it is not of an extremely remote antiquity. And here, with regret, I differ in opinion from a learned and illustrious astronomer, whose fate is a terrible proof of the inconstancy of popular favour, who, after having honoured his career by labours useful both to science and humanity, perished a victim to the most sanguinary tyranny, opposing the calmness and dignity of virtue, to the revilings of...

Bibliographic information