the Sun.
Let us then (for Example) suppose the Dog-Star to be so. The Distance from us to the Sun being about 100 times the Sun's Diameter (as is demonstrable from the Sun's Diameter being 32 Minutes) it is evident, that the Angle under which the Dog-Star is seen in Mr. Hugens's Telescope, must be near the same with the Angle of its Parallax to the Sun's Distance, or Semi-diameter of the Earth's Annual Course; so that the Parallax to the whole Diameter, can be but double such a quantity, as even to Mr. Hugens's nice Observation is altogether insensible.
The Distance therefore of the fix'd Stars seems hardly within the reach of any of our Methods to determine; but from what has been laid down, we may draw some Conclusions that will much illustrate the prodigious vastness of it.
- That the Diameter of the Earth's Annual Orb (which contains at least 160 Millions of Miles) is but as a Point in comparison of it; at least