fOLAR MOTION. 27/ 



tions, nnloss we can show that its influence will tend to inrcttigation 



make them go toward a certain part of the heavens rather °^ *,^^ proper 

 .1- X ^1. T J. • I- ^u motion of the 



than to any other. J..et us examine how these causes are 5^^, 



acting in the solar system. 



The projectile motions of the planets, the asteroids, 

 and the satellites, excepting those of the Georgium Sidus, 

 are all decidedly in favour of a marked singularity of 

 direction. We may add to them the comet of the year 

 1682, whose regular periodical return in 1759 has suffi- 

 ciently proved its permanent connection with the solar 

 system. Here then we have not less than 23 various 

 bodies belonging to the solar system to show that this 

 cause not only can, but in the only case of which we 

 have a complete knowledge, actually does influence the 

 celestial motions, so as to give them a very particular 

 appropriate direction. Even the exception of the Geor* 

 gian satellites may be brought in confirmation of the same 

 peculiarity ; for though they do not unite with the rest 

 of the bodies of our system, they still conform among 

 each other to establish the same tendency of a similar di- 

 rection in their motion round the primary planet. And 

 thus it is proved that the similar direction of the motion 

 of a group of stars may be ascribed to their similar pro- 

 jectile motions without incurring the censure of impro- 

 bability. 



Let us however pursue the objection a little farther, 

 and as we have shown that the celestial bodies of the 

 solar system actually have these similar projectile mo- 

 tions, it may be required that we should also prove that 

 the stars have them likewise; since the appearances iia 

 Fig. 5 may otherwise be looked upon as merely the con- 

 sequence of the assumed solar motion. To this I answer, 

 that setting aside the solar motion, and allowing the ob- 

 servations of astronomers on the proper motion of the 

 stars to give us the real direction and angular quantity of 

 these motions, even then the same similarity will equally 

 remain to be accounted for. In ray examination of 

 Fig. 1 and 3, it has been shown that we oaght to ascribe 

 the similar directions of the sidereal motions to some phy- 

 sical cause, which probably exerts its influence also on 

 the solar motion ; therefore in reverting to those figure* 



I may 



