A Preliminary Dissertation on the Mechanisms of the Heavens — John Shaqi
A Preliminary Dissertation on the Mechanisms of the HeavensSomerville, Mary
Science
A Preliminary Dissertation on the Mechanisms of the Heavens
Somerville, Mary
Celestial mechanics
As great discoveries generally lead to a variety of conclusions, the
aberration of light affords a direct proof of the motion of the earth in
its orbit; and its rotation is proved by the theory of falling bodies,
since the centrifugal force it induces retards the oscillations of the
pendulum in going from the pole to the equator. Thus a high degree of
scientific knowledge has been requisite to dispel the errors of the
senses.
The little that is known of the theories of the satellites of Saturn and
Uranus is in all respects similar to that of Jupiter. The great
compression of Saturn occasions its satellites to move nearly in the
plane of its equator. Of the situation of the equator of Uranus we know
nothing, nor of its compression. The orbits of its satellites are nearly
perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic.
Our constant companion the moon next claims attention. Several
circumstances concur to render her motions the most interesting, and at
the same time the most difficult to investigate of all the bodies of our
system. In the solar system planet troubles planet, but in the lunar
theory the sun is the great disturbing cause; his vast distance being
compensated by his enormous magnitude, so that the motions of the moon
are more irregular than those of the planets; and on account of the
great ellipticity of her orbit and the size of the sun, the
approximations to her motions are tedious and difficult, beyond what
those unaccustomed to such investigations could imagine. Neither the
eccentricity of the lunar orbit, nor its inclination to the plane of the
ecliptic, have experienced any changes from secular inequalities; but
the mean motion, the nodes, and the perigee, are subject to very
remarkable variations.
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