FOOTNOTES:
[1] By the Orbit of a Planet is commonly understood the Tract or Ring, described by its Center round the Sun, but by the Plane of the Orbit is meant a flat Surface extended every way thro’ the Orbit infinitely.
[2] N. B. According to Biachini’s Observations, Venus’s axis inclines 75 degrees from the perpendicular to the plane of the Ecliptic (which is 51½ deg. more than the axis of our Earth) her Tropics are only 15 deg. from her Poles, and her Polar Circles at the same distance from her Equator; so that the Sun’s greatest Declination on each side of her Equator is 75 deg. by which she must undergo a much greater variety of seasons than we do on our Earth.
[3] ☌ Is a mark commonly used for conjunction; thus ☌ with the ☉, is to be read conjunction with the Sun.
[6] The insensible change in the Longitude, Right Ascension, and Declination of the Fixed Stars, made by their slow motion, parallel to the ecliptic (being but 1 degree in 72 years) is not worth notice in this place.
[7] Phases of the Moon are those different appearances we observe in her, according to her position in respect to the Sun and Earth.
Transcriber’s Notes: