JAMES FERGUSON.
THE
CONTENTS.
| [CHAP. I.] | |
| Of Astronomy in general | Page 1 |
| [CHAP. II.] | |
| A brief Description of the Solar System | 5 |
| [CHAP. III.] | |
| The Copernican or Solar System demonstrated to be true | 31 |
| [CHAP. IV.] | |
| The Phenomena of the Heavens as seen from different parts of the Earth | 39 |
| [CHAP. V.] | |
| The Phenomena of the Heavens as seen from different parts of the Solar System | 45 |
| [CHAP. VI.] | |
| The Ptolemean System refuted. The Motions and Phases of Mercury and Venus explained | 50 |
| [CHAP. VII.] | |
| The physical Causes of the Motions of the Planets. The Excentricities of their Orbits. The times in which the Action of Gravity would bring them to the Sun. Archimedes’s ideal Problem for moving the Earth. The world not eternal | 54 |
| [CHAP. VIII.] | |
| Of Light. It’s proportional quantities on the different Planets. It’s Refractions in Water and Air. The Atmosphere, it’s Weight and Properties. The Horizontal Moon | 62 |
| [CHAP. IX.] | |
| The Method of finding the Distances of the Sun, Moon and Planets | 73 |
| [CHAP. X.] | |
| The Circles of the Globe described. The different lengths of days and nights, and the vicissitude of Seasons, explained. The explanation of the Phenomena of Saturn’s Ring concluded | 78 |
| [CHAP. XI.] | |
| The Method of finding the Longitude by the Eclipses of Jupiter’s Satellites: The amazing velocity of Light demonstrated by these Eclipses | 87 |
| [CHAP. XII.] | |
| Of Solar and Sidereal Time | 93 |
| [CHAP. XIII.] | |
| Of the Equation of Time | 97 |
| [CHAP. XIV.] | |
| Of the Precession of the Equinoxes | 108 |
| [CHAP. XV.] | |
| The Moon’s Surface mountainous: Her Phases described: Her Path, and the Paths of Jupiter’s Moons delineated: The proportions of the Diameters of their Orbits, and those of Saturn’s Moons to each other; and to the Diameter of the Sun | 124 |
| [CHAP. XVI.] | |
| The Phenomena of the Harvest-Moon explained by a common Globe: The Years in which the Harvest-Moons are least and most beneficial, from 1751 to 1861. The long duration of Moon-light at the Poles in Winter Page | 136 |
| [CHAP. XVII.] | |
| Of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea | 147 |
| [CHAP. XVIII.] | |
| Of Eclipses: Their Number and Period. A large Catalogue of Ancient and Modern Eclipses | 156 |
| [CHAP. XIX.] | |
| The Calculation of New and Full Moons and Eclipses. The geometrical Construction of Solar and Lunar Eclipses. The examination of ancient Eclipses | 189 |
| [CHAP. XX.] | |
| Of the fixed Stars | 230 |
| [CHAP. XXI.] | |
| Of the Division of Time. A perpetual Table of New Moons. The Times of the Birth and Death of Christ. A Table of remarkable Æras or Events | 248 |
| [CHAP. XXII.] | |
| A Description of the Astronomical Machinery serving to explain and illustrate the foregoing part of this Treatise | 260 |
ERRATA.
In the Table facing Page [31], the Sun’s quantity of matter should be 227500. Page [40], l. last, for infinite read indefinite. Page [97], l. 20, for this read the next. Page [164], l. 2 from the bottom, for without any acceleration read as above, without any acceleration. Page [199], l. 16 for XIV read XV. Page [238], l. 16, for 40 read 406. Page [240], l. 15 from the bottom, for Tifri read Tisri, Page [249] l. 13; from the bottom for XVII read V.
ASTRONOMY
EXPLAINED UPON
Sir ISAAC NEWTON’s Principles.
CHAP. I.
Of Astronomy in general.
The general use of Astronomy.