.{ *55 ) 
the fame Nature with our Sun, may not fome of them 
have Atmofpheres furrounding them fo luminary and 
extended, as to become vifible to us by a Light eafily 
diflinguiffiable from that of the central Body, and 
may not Atmofpheres of others be fo denfe as well 
as luminous, and extended, as may fuffice to obfuf- 
cate (to ufe the Author’s Expreflion) the Light of 
the Star involved in it ? Are not the Nebulofa of the 
former Sort, and the Nebula of the latter ? The lu- 
cid Spot in the Cingulo Andromeda, which after 
Hevelius our Author continues to call a Nebulofa , 
hasheen found by the late Mr. Cajfmi to refemble 
the Zodiacal Light in fome Circumfiances, and by 
Mr. Kirch to have fuffer’d fome Changes appearing 
and difappearing by turns. 
Mr. Mairan obferves by the way, that this Spot 
was firft difcover’d, not by Mr. Bullialdus in 1660, 
as is commonly believed, but by Mr. Simon Marius 
in 1612, who fully defcribes it in the Preface fo his 
Mundus Jovial is. 
The luminous Space round the Nebulofa of Ori- 
on’s Sword , difcover’d and defcribed by Mr. Hu - 
gens, he takes to be an Aflemblage, or Sum Total of 
the feveral Atmofpheres of the Stars, plainly vifible 
within that Space, and it may be of fome others that 
are concealed from our View. The Irregularity of 
the Shape is no Difficulty to him, it arifing from the 
different, and to us feemingly irregular Pofitions of 
their Atmofpheres. He adds, as a Confirmation ofhis 
Hypothefis, that the Brightnefs and very Figure of 
this Space has fuffered fome Alterations fince Mr .Hu? 
gens's Time. That one of the Stars delineated by 
Mr. Hugens without any furrounding Light, has 
L 1 fince 
