the greatest Distance of Saturn, being according to the faid Ar thor 90155 Semidiameters of the Earth; the Distance of the fix Stars cannot be efteemed less than 200000 of thofe Semidiamete or rather 208835, that they may be clearly exempt from the Reach of Saturn's Shadow; and although there is no fear their being obfcured by the fame, in regard they are not illum nated by the Sun, but thine by their own innate Light, yet itir fuppofed they are feated beyond it, by the wife and great Archit tect of Nature; and if you will take the Opinion of Des Cartes for this Realon, that there might be a convenient Space between the planetary Heaven, and that of the fixed Stars, for the Production and Afcent of Comets and new Stars. Wherefore, according to the Computation of Ricciolus, the leaft Distance that may be affigned to the fixed Stars, to raise them beyond the Shadow of Saturn and his Satellites, will be found to amount to 210000 Semidiameters of the Earth; the greatest being altogether uncertain, by Reafon the Craffitude or Profundity of their Hea ven is not to be determined; and that they are as well by their extreme Parts, as by their Centers, unequally removed from us. But, let the Reader, for his more particular Satisfaction, observe the following Tables,

Table of the Distance of the Fixed Stars.

According to the feveral Au-Semidiameters of the Earth. | Horizontal Pa

The Parallaxes placed in the laft Column, anfwer to their leaft Dif tances; for according to their greatest Distances, affigned by Alfraganius, Fernelius, and Clavius, 5′′ or 6" would be fufficient,

Distance

Distance of the Fixed Stars, according to the Copernicans.

Greatest Parallax of the fixed Stars
Semidiameters made from the annual Motion of Earth

Distance of the Fixed Stars, fuppofing the Earth's Annual Motion about the Sun, and the Copernican Distance of the Earth from the Sun.

Diftance of the Fixed Stars from the Earth, fuppofing the Earth's Motion, and the greatest Parallax of the Fixed Stars to be 10", and the Distances of the Sun and Earth, as underwritten.

According to the feve (Dift. of Sun and Earth Dift. of the fixed Stars

in Semidiamers of

in Semidiameters of

Iral Authors fol

It remains that fomething be faid of the proper Motion of the fixed Stars, which is double.

The first is their Circumrotation about their own Centers, termed Motus vertiginis,' in which they are carried about with extraordinary Celerity; whence the Reafon in Part, as before hinted, of their Scintillation.

The

The fecond is their Motion of Revolution from Weft to Eaft, fecundum ductum eclipticæ, in which they are obferved to move, but very dowly. Touching this, it will not be amifs to infert the three following Conclufions of Ricciolus, in his Aftron. Reformat. p. 259.

The firft is, That the Motion of the fixed Stars is equal and uniform.

1

Secondly, That their annual Motion is not lefs than 49′′, nor greater than 51”.

Thirdly, That it feems most probable that their annual Motion is 50" 40"; though the Opinion of those who compute it to be within 50 or 51", wants not fair Probability.

From the Suppofition of their annual Motion of 50" 40"", it follows, that they complete not one Degree in the Ecliptic fooner than in 71 Years, 19 Days, and 12 Hours; but the whole Circle of 360 Degrees they run not through, fave in 25579 Years, which is the Annus magnus Platonicus,' (though by the Ancients computed to extend to no less than 36000 Years); which 25579 Sidereal Years, are equal to 25580 Equinoctial Years.

Next Year, God willing, proceed we to the History of new Stars, and the Nature and Circumftances of the Sun.

FIN 1 S.

The COELESTIAL ATLAS; OR, A NEW ́ ́

E PHEME RI For the YEAR of our LORD 1785.

Being the Firft after

อก

BISSEXTILE, or LEA P-YEAR.

Wherein are contained

The Heliocentrick and Geocentrick Places of the Planets, the ECLIPSES of the Luminaries, and other remarkable PHÆNOMENA that will happen this Year.

Carefully computed

From the genuine TABLES of D.. EDMUND HALLEY, thofe of Profeffor MAYER, and other the latest and most corre ASTRONOMICAL TABLES.

ALSO

A Compleat ALMANACK, containing the FEASTS and FASTS of the Church of ENGLAND; the Times of the LUNATIONS; the Rifing and Setting of the Sun, Moon, and Planets, &c.

Adapted to the

Meridian and Latitude of the ancient and honourable CITY of LONDON.

in

To which are added,

Several ufeful TABLES: As, a TABLE of the Sun's femi-diurnal Arcs, by which the Times of the Sun's Rifing and Setting may be known by Inspection, on every Day in the Year, and any Part of GREAT-BRITAIN OF IRELAND A TIDE-TABLE, and a very correct one of the Eclipfes of JPR's first Satelles; a TABLE of the Sun's Right-Afcenfion various exact TABLES of the most remarkable fixed Stars, taken from Mr. ELAMSTERD'S Catalogue; and, laftly, a correct TABE Latitudes and Longitudes of the most remarkable Places in the World.

By ROBERT WHITE

Teacher of the Mathematicks.

Οι δρανεί δικ, ἔνται δοξαν Θεό,

The THIRTY-SIXTH IMPRESSION.

LONDON

Printed for the Company of STATIONERS; and fold by JOHN WILKIE, at their Hall, in Ludgate-street. [Price NINE-PENCE ftitcked.]

6 Conjunction when Planets are in the fame Sign, Deg. Min. &c

* Sextile when 2 Signs dift.

A Trine when 4 Signs dift.

Capricorn

Aquarius

Pifces

Telles

8 Moon's N. Node

Terra (0

8 her S. Node

the Earth

Quartile when 3 Signs dift.

8 Oppofition when 6 Signs diff

Of the Four Quarters of the YEAR 1785..

That Spring Meter begins on the zote.

HE Spring Quarter begins on the 20th Day of March, at 32 Minut

The Summer Quarter begins June the 21ft, 37 Minutes paft 2i the Morning.

The Autumnal Quarter begins September the 22d, 18 Minutes past in the Afternoon.

The Winter Quarter begins December the 21, 47 Minutes paft 8 the Morning.

HE beautiful Planet VENUS will be an Evening Star 'till May il Tgth; and after that Time the will be a Morning Star to the Yea

End.

JUPITER will be an Erening Star 'till the 10th Day of March, which Time he becomes a Morning Star; and fo continues 'till O&t. 2 and after that an Evening ftar to the Year's End.

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