The orbits of the planets are not true circles, but somewhat elliptical. Perihelion, aphelion, and mean distance, what. Attraction, what. Laws of attraction. Attraction of gravitation, its effects. Simple motion rectilineal. Attractive or centripetal, and projectile or centrifugal forces, what. DIALOGUE VII. p. 61. Bodies moving in circles have a tendency to fly off. Planets kept in their orbits by the joint action of the centripetal and centrifugal forces; they describe equal areas in equal times. Orbits of the comets very elliptical. The earth in its perihelion in December. Equation of time. Center of gravity, what; sun and planets move round it. Sun the center of the system. DIALOGUE VIII. p. 73. The earth revolves on its axis. Cause of day and night. The motion of the earth so uniform as not to be perceived. The apparent motion of the sun caused by the earth’s motion on its axis. An objection to the earth’s motion answered. The sun and some of the planets revolve on their axes. Atmosphere, what; cause of twilight. Horizon, what; the sun and moon appear largest near the horizon, why; they appear above the horizon when below it; caused by refraction; proved by experiment. DIALOGUE IX. p. 87. Inclination of the earth’s axis. An angle, what. The poles, what. Equinoctial, what. Earth’s parallelism described. The axis of the earth points to the same parts of the heavens. Equator, ecliptic, polar circles, and meridians, explained. Difference of time between places lying under different meridians. Longitude, what. How to reduce longitude to time, and time to longitude. Latitude, what. DIALOGUE X. p. 101.