Gther heavenly Bodies, have Almofpheres, l6^ 



table that the furface of Jupiter may refleft a very lively and 

 white light, according to the nature of its component parts, 

 with which we are unacquainted. The ftripes obferved oa 

 the furface of that planet lie in a pofition parallel to his equa- 

 tor; are fubjeft to a great many variations; and, in general, 

 are confidered to arife from atmofpheric matter liable to ac- 

 cidental changes. The fame thing may be conjeclured ia 

 regard to Saturn, on which there are ftripes of the fame 

 kind, according to the late difcoverics of Dr. Herfchel. But 

 in regard to the atmofpheres of Mercury, Venus, Mars, and 

 Uranus, our conclufions muft be attended with ftill lefs cer- 

 tainty. If they have any, they muft be far more fubtile, and 

 finer, than that of our earth; elfe thefe bodies would not al- 

 ways appear with fo much brightnefs. The exiftenceofan 

 almofphere around Mars has, indeed, been rendered highly 

 probable bv Dr. Herfchel and Mr. Schroter; and the latter 

 thinks he obferved a crepufculum of 15^° in Venus, which 

 feems to fuppofe that it has an atmofphere *. 



In regard to comets, I can the lefs venture to hazard any 

 aflertions, as feme of our modern philofophers confider them 

 to be merely nebulous bodies j I fliall therefore confine what 

 I have to fay, to the moon, which ftill remains to be taken 

 into confideration, and refpetling the atmofphere of which 

 there has been the moft difpute. Towards the end of the 

 fixteenth century it was ftrenuoufly maintained by Kepler. 

 In the feventecnth the fame opinion was entertained by 

 Kircher, Scheiner, Moftlin, Fabricius, Bulliald, Hevelius^ 

 &c. In the prefent it has been adopted by Louville, Ma- 

 raldi, Fontenelle, Bianchini, Carbone, Wolf, Bofcovich, 

 Euler, Du Scjour, Herfchel, Schroter, &c. Thofe who op- 

 pofed this opinion were, Huyghcns, Caffini, Malezienj De la 

 Hire, De I'lflc, Mylius, Tobias Mayer, Grandjean de Fou- 

 chy, 8c c. 



Thofe who maintain that tlic moon has an atmofphere 

 found their opinion on the following grounds : — 



I. During total eclipfes of the fun, a light ring has been 

 ften around the moon parallel to her limb. This pheno- 



* Sec Boi/ts A/iienom. Jahrlnuh i1<)i> p-i^i' 

 \'oL, VI, Z menoa 



