CojifruBwn of the Heavens, 26 c 



The fourth follows -/j Sagittal iy\i in time, and is 2' more 



north. It is perfeclly round, pretty bright, and pretty well 



defined ; about | min. in diameter. 



The fifth follows the zift Vulpeculaj 2.\i in time, and is 



1° 46^ more north. It is exa6llv round, of an equal Ijoht 



• J. O 



throughout, but pretty faint, raid about i' in diameter. 



The fixth precedes h {Fi... 39,) Cygni 8^,1 in time, and is 



1° 26'' more louth. It is perfeftly round, and of an equal 



light, but pretty faint ; its diameter is neari", and the edges 



are pretty well defined. 



The planetary appearance of the two firfl is fo remarkable, 

 that we can hardly fuppoie them to be nebulae ; their light is 

 fo uniform, as well as vivid, the diameters fo fmall and well 

 defined, as to make it almofl: improbable they fhould belong to 

 that fpecies of bodies. On the other hand, the effe^Sl of dif- 

 ferent powers feems to be much againft their light's being of a 

 planetary nature, fince it preferves its brightnefs nearly in the 

 fame manner as the ftars do in iimilar trials. If we would fup- 

 pofe them to befingle fliars with large diameters we fhall find it 

 difficult to account for their not being brighter ; unlefs we 

 fhould admit that the intrinfic light of fome ftars may be very 

 much inferior to that of the generality, which however can 

 hardly be imagined to extend to fuch a degree. We might 

 fufpe6t them to be comets about their aphelion, if the bright- 

 nefs as well as magnitude of the diameters did not oppofe this 

 idea ; fo that after all, we can hardly find any hypotheiis fo 

 probable as that of their being Nebulic ; but then they mufh 

 coniift of ftars that are comprefled and accumulated in the 

 higheft degree. If it were not perhaps too hazardous to purfue 

 a former lurmife of a renewal in what I figuratively called the 

 Laboratories of the univerfe, the f!:ars forming thefe extraordi- 

 nary nebulae, by fome decay or wafte of nature, being no longer 

 Vol. LXXV. U m fit 



