7(J Mechanical Philosophi/. [Chap. L 



loni^-ing to that planet, and actually observed fixed 

 ^tars between this and the one before known* 

 } Je discovered also around the same planet a qicin^ 

 tuple belt of spots, by which he ascertained the re- 

 ality and the time of its diurnal motion. He has 

 published new and valuable observations on the 

 gun, the moon, and indeed on almost all the bo- 

 dies belonging to the solar system. He has greatly 

 enlarged our acquaintance with the fixed stars; 

 and, in a word, so much extended our knowledge 

 of astronomy, that his life may be considered as 

 forming one of the most important asras ii,i the his- 

 tory of this branch of philosophy. 



This celebrated Astronomer has given a very 

 sublime and curious account of the Construction of 

 the HeavenSy with his discovery of some thousands 

 of nebuLzy or clouds of stars ; many of which are 

 much larger collections of stars, than all those 

 together which are visible to our naked eyes, added 

 to those which form the galaxy, or milky zone 

 tliat surrounds us*. He observes, that in the 

 vicinity of those clusters of stars there are proper-. 

 tionally fewer stars than in other parts of the hea-r 

 vens ; and hence he concludes that they have at- 

 tracted each other, on the supposition that inlhiite 

 space Avas at first equally sprinkled with them. 

 Dr. Ilcrschel thinks he has further shown, that the 

 whole sidereal system is gradually moving round 



* Democritus, many ac:e.s ago, affirmed that the MilLy JVa^ 

 was produced b} the united splendour of many small stars, as wc 

 arc told by Plutarch. 



A-'j/iOx.rfrvj tohKujY aoii rj.iy.pw k7a c'J\cyjJov arr'Ttp-Zv trviKt^o 

 r;^ca5v:^v cc/.atjXo;^ (ruvavycf.7y.r/ Oicc rv;y TTUKyi^criv. Plutarch. 

 De Placit. Lib. iii. Cap. 1 . 



