The Study of Astronomy, adapted to the capacities of youth / In twelve familiar dialogues, between a tutor and his pupil: explaining the general phænomena of the heavenly bodies, the theory of the tides, &c.

by teacher of astronomy John Stedman

Since I was last with you, Sir, I have been thinking of what you then told me, that the planets perform their revolutions in open space: I have not the least idea how this can be; if convenient, I shall be happy to have it explained.

Tutor. It will be necessary first to inform you, that the orbits or paths described by the revolution of the planets round the sun, are not true circles (as Plate II. fig. 2.) but somewhat elliptical, that is, longer one way than the other, as fig. 3.

Pupil. This is exceedingly plain.

Tutor. In a circle, the periphery or circumference is equally distant from a point within called its center, as A; but an ellipsis has two points called the focuses or foci, as B C. In one of these, called its lower focus, is the sun: so that you see in every revolution of the planet it must be nearer to the sun in one part of its orbit, than it is in another.

Pupil. I see it clearly.

Tutor. Now let S (Plate II. fig. 4.) represent the sun, A B C D a planet in different parts of its orbit; when it is nearest to the sun, as at A it is said to be in its perihelion; when at B its aphelion; but when at C or D its middle or mean distance, because the distance S C or S D is the middle between A S the least and B S the greatest distance; and half the distance between the two focuses is called the eccentricity of its orbit, as S E or E F.

Pupil. This I will endeavour to understand; but I find it will take me some time to be perfected in it.

Tutor. You may study it at your leisure, as it will not prevent our proceeding to the thing proposed, namely, the laws which govern the motion of the planets, or ATTRACTION OF GRAVITATION.

Pupil. By attraction I think you mean that property in bodies whereby they have a tendency to approach each other. I remember you told me that the magnet I had the other day attracted the needle.

Tutor. Yes. And you may recollect that when I took a feather suspended by a thread, and put it near the conductor of the electrical machine, it was strongly attracted by it, and adhered to it as long as the machine was kept in motion.