2

A Comprehensive View

consideration, as the proper subject of thisuseful and interesting study.

The Solar System

x. Consists of the fun, (from which itreceives its denomination,) six primary,ten secondary planets, and the comets.These, with that collection of innumerablespherical bodies which compose the universe,are called the system of the world; allwhich appear to the inhabitants of the earth,as if they were within one and the fame con-cave sphere.

2. The Copernican, or solar, system sup-poses the fun in the center, having a motionround its axis, which is completed in about25 1- days. This motion was discovered bythe revolution of those spots, which are.frequently seen in its disc, and are supposedto adhere to its surface; and its axis is in-clined to the plane of the ecliptic in an angleof about 874. degrees.

3. The six primary planets move round.. the fun in their respective elliptical orbits,

from west to east, at different distances, and

in