ASTRONOMY. 



rage in 24? hours, and comes later to the meridian 

 by about 4-8 minutes every day r The motion of 

 the moon is therefore in the same direction with 

 that of the sun, or according to the order of the 



signs. 



' 



. These Phases may all be explained oil 

 the supposition, that the moon is an opaque 

 body, spherical, or nearly so, which moves in a 

 circular orbit round the earth, while it receives 

 its light from the sun, 



The opacity of the moon is proved not only from her 

 phases, but from the occultation of stars by the 

 dark or invisible part of her orb. 



122. When the place of the moon is observed 

 every night, it is found that her motion is in the 

 plane of a great circle, inclined at an angle 

 (subject to a small variation) of nearly 5 9' to 

 the ecliptic. 



The line in which the plane of the moon's orbit cuts 



the ecliptic, is called the Line of the Nodes. 

 r ' J 



The Ascending Node, is the point where the moon is 

 in the ecliptic, ascending to the north : the Des- 

 cending Node 9 is that where she is in the ecliptic, 

 descending to the south, 



. The 



