68 The Earth considered as a Planet. 



CHAP. V. 



Of the Earth considered as a Planet, 



THE Earth goes round the sun in 365 

 days 5 hours 49 minutes, from an equi- 

 nox or solstice to the same again ; but 

 from any fixed star to the same again, 

 as seen from the sun, in 365 days, 6 hours 

 and nine minutes ; the former being the 

 length of the tropical ijear, and the latter 

 the length of the sidereal. 



The motion of the earth in common 

 with the rest of the planets about the 

 sun, is in the order of the signs of the 

 zodiac ; that is, from west to east. This 

 zone or belt, as has been mentioned, goes 

 round the heavens ; and along the middle, 

 of it is the ecliptic, or circle which the 

 earth describes annually as seen from 

 the sun ; and which the sun appears to 

 describe as seen from the earth. 



Besides this annual revolution of the 

 earth about the sun, in the ecliptic ; the 



