322 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



to say, any hypothesis that requires the earth to move, in the course of the year, 

 in as many directions relative to the plane of its own equator, as are to be found 

 in the quadrant of a circle, will require the Moon, in order to maintain its 

 position relative to the equator, to make as many contortions as are seen in all 

 these diagrams. 



This is about what is required, if the Sun moves toward 47° north. Some 

 one is ready to remind us of " the effect of two forces acting at the same time, in 

 the same, or in opposite directions." Let that apply, where it applies; it has no 

 business here. We have to do here, not with what forces, but with what in a 

 given hypothesis the phenomena requires. If the law of force requires this, all 

 right. But if it is only the phenomena that requires it in a hypothetical case, it 

 is a different matter. 



The above indicates why I reject the teaching of the books as to the direc- 

 tion of the Sun's movement. 



We have it on high authority that the following is the mean inclination of 

 the orbits of the planets to the plane of the Sun's equator. 



INCLINATION OF ORBIT TO SUN's EQUATOR. 



Mercury 1° 18' 



Venus 4° 58' 



Earth , 4° 37' 



Mars 2° 42' 



Jupiter 5° 28' 



Saturn 4° 46' 



Uranus 5° 9' 



Neptune 4° 59' 



If the orbits of the planets cut the Sun's equator at these angles, their paths 

 will cut it at angles much smaller. If you would see this turn to Plate I. In 

 Fig. 2, the line P S being parallel to the earth's equator, the angle E S P is the 

 angle of the orbit with the equator ; but the angle EXP would be the angle 

 made by the crossing of the paths of the earth and Sun. If the Sun's path is 

 more nearly in the plane of the ecHptic, as it surely is, the angle made by these 

 crossing paths would be much smaller than as represented in the figure. I will 

 here venture the prediction that it will yet be found that the paths of all the 

 planets cross the path of the sun at an angle of less than two degrees. 



Now observe, the orb that attracts the Sun and determines the direction of 

 its movement, also attracts each of the planets, according to my theory even 

 more powerfully, and in good part determines the direction of their movements. 

 The planets would skip off and leave the Sun were it not for his power to hold 

 them in check, " He rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race." If the Sun 

 moved directly toward its ruling orb, all the equatorial planes of our system 

 would coincide ; there would be no lateral oscillation in the planets paths ; and 

 so, no seasons. Because of these diverse directions, at times, part of the force 

 from both of its superiors tends to bring the planet iato what may be called the 



