A View of Sir Isaac Newton's PhilosophyPemberton, Henry
Science
A View of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophy
Pemberton, Henry
Newton, Isaac, 1642-1727. Principia
3. BY the number of satellites, which move round Jupiter and Saturn,
the power of each of these planets is measured in a great diversity
of distance; for the distance of the outermost satellite in each of
these planets exceeds several times the distance of the innermost. In
Jupiter the astronomers have usually placed the innermost satellite
at a distance from the center of that planet equal to about 5⅔ of
the semidiameters of Jupiter’s body, and this satellite performs its
revolution in about 1 day 18½ hours. The next satellite, which revolves
round Jupiter in about 3 days 13⅕ hours, they place at the distance
from Jupiter of about 9 of that planet’s semidiameters. To the third
satellite, which performs its period nearly in 7 days 3¾ hours, they
assign the distance of about 14⅖ semidiameters. But the outermost
satellite they remove to 25⅓ semidiameters, and this satellite makes
its period in about 16 days 16½ hours[177]. In Saturn there is still
a greater diversity in the distance of the several satellites. By the
observations of the late ~CASSINI~, a celebrated astronomer
in France, who first discovered all these satellites, except one known
before, the innermost is distant about 4½ of Saturn’s semidiameters
from his center, and revolves round in about 1 day 21⅓ hours. The next
satellite is distant about 5¾ semidiameters, and makes its period in
about 2 days 17⅔ hours. The third is removed to the distance of about
8 semidiameters, and performs its revolution in near 4 days 12½ hours.
The fourth satellite discovered first by the great HUYGENS, is near
18⅔ semidiameters, and moves round Saturn in about 15 days 22⅔ hours.
The outermost is distant 56 semidiameters, and makes its revolution in
about 79 days 7⅘ hours[178]. Besides these satellites, there belongs
to the planet Saturn another body of a very singular kind. This is a
shining, broad, and flat ring, which encompasses the planet round.
The diameter of the outermost verge of this ring is more than double
the diameter of Saturn. ~HUYGENS~, who first described this
ring, makes the whole diameter thereof to bear to the diameter of
Saturn the proportion of 9 to 4. The late reverend Mr. POUND makes the
proportion something greater, viz. that of 7 to 3. The distances of the
satellites of this planet Saturn are compared by ~CASSINI~ to
the diameter of the ring. His numbers I have reduced to those above,
according to Mr. POUND’s proportion between the diameters of Saturn and
of his ring. As this ring appears to adhere no where to Saturn, so the
distance of Saturn from the inner edge of the ring seems rather greater
than the breadth of the ring. The distances, which have here been
given, of the several satellites, both for Jupiter and Saturn, may be
more depended on in relation to the proportion, which those belonging
to the same primary planet bear one to another, than in respect to the
very numbers, that have been here set down, by reason of the difficulty
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