On the Formation of the Universe. j 37 



by collection they acquired a very considerable degree of 

 motion round their axes, their constituent wheels would im- 

 mediately assume a shape elongated on a line drawn through 

 them from their primaries, and would tend to remain in this 

 position ; so that however great the velocity of the internal 

 parts might be, it would be continually diminished by fric- 

 tion proceeding from the exterior, till the wheel became 

 stationary on the abovementioned hne, or the whole became 

 solid. 



Multiplying the width of the rings of ejected matter which 

 it is reasonable to suppose was about taken up by each of 

 the planetary wheels, into the length of their orbit ; and di- 

 viding its comparative quantity of matter by this product, we 

 shall obtain the proportionate average quantities of matter 

 ejected in a given space from the solar wheel, through the 

 various steps of its progress. The result gives for Herschel 

 0,093, Saturn 1,352, Jupiter 14,812, Pallas 0,075, Ceres 

 0,054, Juno 0,016, Vesta 0,010, Mars 0,086, the earth and 

 moon 2,946, Venus 4,357, Mercury t ,490. From the state 

 of the case the calculations are unavoidably loose ; but if we 

 vary the premises within any rational limits whatever, the 

 same general result is inevitable. If the two sources of 

 emission described above, were regular in their increase 

 and diminution; and if the ejected matter composing the 

 two series of planets, instead of collecting together, be sup- 

 posed to remain at the same distance from the common cen- 

 tre at which it was emitted, and to be distributed in two 

 concentric rings of equal density, a section of these rings by 

 a perpendicular plane passing through the common centre, 

 would be lenticular, having the widest parts nearer the inner 

 than the outer extremes. If we take the quantity of matter 

 included between two such sections meeting at S, fig. 2, and 

 suppose the velocity of each part to be the same that it had 

 when separated from the solar wheel, the parts from m to a, 

 and from n to S, would be nearly in the shape of a pyramid; 

 and from e to m, and from a to n, in the shape of a wedge. 

 In the part J, the centre of its gravity, or the place where 

 the whole of that part would meet in case of condensation, 

 would be about g, near its base ; whereas the point of ave- 

 rage velocity, on the point where the matter should meet to 

 move with the same velocity as the portions there emitted 

 from the solar wheel, that is, to move in a circular orbit. 



Vol. VI....N0. I. 18 



