The Elements of the Theory of Astronomy (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from The Elements of the Theory of Astronomy

Ilowing Obvious considerations. Lst, When a ship approaches land from any quarter, the topmast first becomes visible to a spectator on the shore, and the hull comes in sight last, which, being the largest part, ought to be first seen, if the Earth were a plane. 2ud, The surface of the sea, when viewed from the deck of a ship or the mast-head, is not seen to lose itself in distance and mist, but to be termi nated by a clear, sharp, well-defined Circle having the spec tator in the center, exactly such as would be swept out on the, Surface of a sphere by a line touching it and passing through a fixed point a. Little elevated above the surface of the sphere. 3rd, In lunar eclipses, when the Earth is interposed between the Sun and Moon, the Earth's shadow upon the Moon's disk appears round, in all positions of the Earth; and lastly, the Earth has been.sailed round in va rions directions. We conclude therefore that, like the other heavenly bodies, the Earth has the figure of a globe (dif fering very little from a sphere, as will be seen) every where isolated in space, and surrounded by the heavens.

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