[PLATE VI].
The Earth nearer the Sun in winter than in summer.
Why the weather is coldest when the Earth is nearest the Sun.
205. The Earth’s Orbit being elliptical, and the Sun constantly keeping in it’s lower Focus, which is 1,377,000 miles from the middle point of the longer Axis, the Earth comes twice so much, or 2,754,000 miles nearer the Sun at one time of the year than at another: for the Sun appearing under a larger Angle in our winter than summer, proves that the Earth is nearer the Sun in winter, (see the Note on Art. 185.) But here, this natural question will arise, Why have we not the hottest weather when the Earth is nearest the Sun? In answer it must be observed, that the excentricity of the Earth’s Orbit, or 1 million 377 miles bears no greater proportion to the Earth’s mean distance from the Sun than 17 does to 1000; and therefore, this small difference of distance cannot occasion any great difference of heat or cold. But the principal cause of this difference is, that in winter the Sun’s rays fall so obliquely upon us, that any given number of them is spread over a much greater portion of the Earth’s surface where we live; and therefore each point must then have fewer rays than in summer. Moreover, there comes a greater degree of cold in the long winter nights, than there can return of heat in so short days; and on both these accounts the cold must increase. But in summer the Sun’s rays fall more perpendicularly upon us, and therefore come with greater force, and in greater numbers on the same place; and by their long continuance, a much greater degree of heat is imparted by day than can fly off by night.
Fig. II.
206. That a greater number of rays fall on the same place, when they come perpendicularly, than when they come obliquely on it, will appear by the Figure. For, let AB be a certain number of the Sun’s rays falling on CD (which, let us suppose to be London) on the 22d of June: but, on the 22d of December, the line CD, or London; has the oblique position Cd to the same rays; and therefore scarce a third part of them falls upon it, or only those between A and e; all the rest eB being expended on the space dP, which is more than double the length of CD or Cd. Besides, those parts which are once heated, retain the heat for some time; which, with the additional heat daily imparted, makes it continue to increase, though the Sun declines toward the south: and this is the reason why July is hotter than June, although the Sun has withdrawn from the summer Tropic; as we find it is generally hotter at three in the afternoon, when the Sun has gone toward the west, than at noon when he is on the Meridian. Likewise, those places which are well cooled require time to be heated again; for the Sun’s rays do not heat even the surface of any body till they have been some time upon it. And therefore we find January for the most part colder than December, although the Sun has withdrawn from the winter Tropic, and begins to dart his beams more perpendicularly upon us, when we have the position CF. An iron bar is not heated immediately upon being put into the fire, nor grows cold till some time after it has been taken out.
CHAP. XI.
The Method of finding the Longitude by the Eclipses of Jupiter’s Satellites: The amazing Velocity of Light demonstrated by these Eclipses.
First Meridian, and Longitude of places, what.
207. Geographers arbitrarily choose to call the Meridian of some remarkable place the first Meridian. There they begin their reckoning; and just so many degrees and minutes as any other place is to the eastward or westward of that Meridian, so much east or west Longitude they say it has. A degree is the 360th part of a Circle, be it great or small; and a minute the 60th part of a degree. The English Geographers reckon the Longitude from the Meridian of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, and the French from the Meridian of Paris.
[PLATE V].
Fig. II.
Hour Circles.
An hour of time equal to 15 degrees of motion.
208. If we imagine twelve great Circles, one of which is the Meridian of any given place, to intersect each other in the two Poles of the Earth, and to cut the Equator Æ at every 15th degree, they will be divided by the Poles into 24 Semicircles which divide the Equator into 24 equal parts; and as the Earth turns on it’s Axis, the planes of these Semicircles come successively after one another every hour to the Sun. As in an hour of time there is a revolution of 15 degrees of the Equator, in a minute of time there will be a revolution of 15 minutes of the Equator, and in a second of time a revolution of 15 seconds. There are two tables annexed to this Chapter, for reducing mean solar time into degrees and minutes of the terrestrial Equator; and also for converting degrees and parts of the Equator into mean solar time.
209. Because the Sun enlightens only one half of the Earth at once, as it turns round it’s Axis he rises to some places at the same moments of absolute Time that he sets to others; and when it is mid-day to some places, it is mid-night to others. The XII on the middle of the Earth’s enlightened side, next the Sun, stands for mid-day; and the opposite XII on the middle of the dark side, for mid-night. If we suppose this Circle of hours to be fixed in the plane of the Equinoctial, and the Earth to turn round within it, any particular Meridian will come to the different hours so, as to shew the true time of the day or night at all places on that Meridian. Therefore,