[ 23 & ] 
By a like computation we (Ball find, that the 
diftance, at which the Sun would afford us as much- 
light, as we receive from Jupiter, is not lets than 
46000 times his prefent diflance, and his whole 
parallax, in that cafe, upon the diameter of the 
earth’s orbit, would not be more than nine feconds, 
the light of Jupiter and Saturn, as feen from the 
Earth^ being in the ratio of about 22 to 1, when they 
are both in oppofition, and fuppofing them to refled 
equally in proportion to the whole of the light that 
falls upon them. 
But if Jupiter and Saturn, inffead of refledingthe 
whole of the light, that falls upon them, fhould in 
fad refled only a part of it, as for example, only a 
fourth or fixth (and this may very poflibly be the 
cafe), we muff then increafe the diflanccs computed 
above, in the proportion of 2 or 24- to 1, to make 
the Sun's light no more than equal to theirs j and his 
parallax would be lefs, in the fame propoition, than 
thofe already mentioned \ 
Upon the fuppofition then, that the fixed flats are 
of the fame magnitude and brightnefs with the Sun, 
it is no wonder, that their parallax flaould have 
hitherto efcaped obfervation, fince, if this is the cafe^ 
it could hardly amount to two feconds, and probably 
* The light, which we receive from the full Moon (according 
to Monfieur Bouguer’s experiments in the work above-mentioned), 
is only a 300000th part of that which we receive horn the Sun, 
whereas it ought to amount to no lefs than a 45000^ part ot it, 
according to the principles, which we have made ufe of in com- 
puting the quantity of light derived from Jupiter and Saturn ; fo 
that the Moon, as appears from theie experiments, refleas no more 
than hetween a fixth and a feventh pait ol the lig * t lat a s 
upon her. 
not 
