Bicxerton.—On the Origin of the Visible Universe. 179 
go quite so far as to suppose the body cold. I shall assume two stupendous 
bodies, having small independent proper motion in space, being probably at 
exceedingly high temperatures, endowed with a considerable rotation, and 
having a large number of bodies revolving around them, and not unlikely 
making up a considerable proportion of their mass. The probable existence 
of such bodies is rendered likely on the view of the cosmogony which 
follows as a logical deduction from thé conception of partial impact. 
I will now place before you some of the broader conclusions which are 
general deductions to all cases of partial impact :— 
1st. The original independent motion of the bodies acts in three ways— 
(a) it tends to render the impact more partial; (b) in those parts coming into 
impact, it increases the temperature; and (c) it tends to increase resultant 
velocity, and hence the escape of the several pieces. 
2nd. At impact, all parts coming into actual collision will have a part 
of their molar motion converted into heat, and the more completely the 
parts coming into impact destroy each other’s momentum, the higher the 
temperature of those parts. On the other hand, as those parts will possess 
no molar motion they will tend at first to occupy the centre of the mass. 
8rd. In partial impact the whole motion (except that due to original 
rotation and to pressure) wil tend to lie in the plane containing the line 
joining the centres of gravity, and containing the direction of motion of 
the two bodies at impact. This plane is doubtless the great circle bisecting 
the milky way, and might be considered the ecliptic of sidereal astronomy. 
4th. A tendency to rotation must be produced which at first will be 
generally in one direction. This may pass through an apparent irregularity, 
but finally, on the condensation of the mass, some would exist. 
5th. After some time has elapsed, the whole of the motion being 
originally nearly radial, and chiefly occupying one plane, will tend to 
develope an irregular ring consisting of several roughly spiral masses. 
6th. All original rotation, both of bodies in orbits and of the large 
masses themselves, will tend to destroy the symmetry of the ring, and to 
take the matter from its plane. 
7th. Generally, considerable irregularities in matter not uniformly 
spread will tend to inerease themselves. Thus, if a hole appears in an 
infinite flat dise, attraction will tend to make it greater; and again, a break 
in a ring will tend to increase in width, the ring itself tending, of course, to 
diminish its mean diameter. 
8th. The chief of the molecular motion (heat) will act radially in all 
directions, and consequently will ehange the dise (which resultant motion of 
mass tends to develope) into a lentieular mass. 
9th. The varying velocity of different chemical substances at the same 
temperature, when acted on by gravity, will tend to separate this lens into 
