VIEW OP THE HEAVENS. [LeSS07l II. 



nierous, and the greater part of them are too futile 

 in their nature to d'eservea particular account : the 

 only one which agrees with all the phenomena is 

 that which was first invented by Pythagoras (who 

 was born 577 years before Christ), and taught in 

 Greece and Italy ; but this was soon buried in ob- 

 livion, and was set aside from the time of Ptolemy, 

 until it was restored about the year 1507 by 

 Nicholas Copernicus. The discoveries of Kepler 

 and Galileo tended greatly to prove its truth ; but 

 it was much opposed, until at length the indefati- 

 gable researches of Sir ISAAC NEWTON fixed it 

 upon too firm a basis to be easily overthrown. It 

 is now generally adopted by Astronomers, and is> 

 with a few modifications, now called the Newtonian 

 System ; an account of which I shall here proceed 

 to lay before you. 



When we take a view of the heavenly bodies, 

 our attention is first attracted by the sun and moon, 

 which are distinctively named luminaries : the other 

 beautiful spangles in the glorious canopy are called 

 stars ; and of these a distinction is made into pla- 

 nets or wandering stars, and fixed stars. The pla- 

 nets, of which the earth we inhabit is one, move 

 in regular and uninterrupted order aro'und the sun j 

 some of these planets have attendants, usually 

 called satellites, moving around them. Sometimes 

 there are other stars seen, with blazing tails issu- 

 ing from them : these pursue very eccentric irre- 

 gular courses, and are called comets. The planets* 



them- 



* Correctly speaking, the Satellites are Planets, as well aa 

 those round which they revolve: for planet is a Greek word, 



