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diftance of thofe, that are next to each other, 
amongft the fix ftars vifible to the naked eye, to be 
greater than what would fubtend an angle, if feen 
diredtly from the earth, of about forty or fifty minutes. 
And confequently the diftance between them and the 
earth would be about 70 times that diftance, and 
their apparent brightnefs, feen from thofe that are 
next to each other, muff be about 4900 times as 
great, as it appears to us ; But ?? of the Pleiades, if I 
judge rightly, is not fainter than Sirius in a greater 
proportion than that of about 100 to 1 ; this ffar 
therefore muff appear brighter to the neareft of thofe 
fix, which are vitible to the naked eye, than Sirius 
does to us, in the proportion of about 49 to 1. Let 
us now fnppofe all the ffars belonging to the Pleiades, 
as well thofe difcoverable with telefcopes, as thofe 
which are vifible to the naked eye, to be contained 
within a fphere, whofe apparent diameter at the 
earth is two degrees ; and confequently the mean, 
diftance of them from a fpedfator placed fomewhere 
amongft them, as it might happen, would fubtend an 
angle, when feen dire&ly from the earth, of about a 
degree. Since therefore we have fuppofed the diftances 
of the ftars of our own fyftem to be, at a medium, 
equal to thofe of the Pleiades, and confequently their 
mean diftances from the earth to fubtend at the Plei- 
ades an angle of one degree, we (ball have the 
diftance of the Pleiades about 57 times as great as 
the mean diftance of the ftars of our own fyftem, 
from the earth. Hence, if the biggeft: of the ftars 
of our own fyftem fhould be at this mean diftance 
from us, and Sirius fliould be the biggeft, v\ of the 
Pleiades muft exceed it in the proportion of about 200 
Vo l. ,L VII. L 1 to 
