The Diurnal rotation of the Planets round their axis, was discovered by certain spots which appear on the surfaces. These spots appear first in the margin of the Planet’s disk, (or the edge of their surfaces) and seem by degrees to creep toward their middle, and so on, going still forward, ’till they come to the opposite side or edge of the disk, where they set or disappear; and after they have been hid for the same space of time, that they were visible, they again appear to rise in or near the same place, as they did at first, then to creep on progressively, taking the same course as they did before. These spots have been observed on the surfaces of the _Sun_, _Venus_, _Mars_, and _Jupiter_; by which means it has been found that these bodies turn round their own axis, in the times before-mentioned. It is very probable that _Mercury_ and _Saturn_ have likewise a motion round their axis, that all the parts of their surface may alternately enjoy the light and heat of the Sun, and receive such changes as are proper and convenient for their nature. But by reason of the nearness of ☿ to the Sun, and ♄’s immense distance from him, no observations have hitherto been made whereby their spots (if they have any) could be discovered, and therefore their Diurnal motions could not be determined. The Diurnal motion of the Earth is computed from the apparent revolution of the Heavens, and of all the Stars round it, in the space of a natural Day. The Solar spots do not always remain the same, but sometimes old ones vanish, and afterwards others succeed in their room; sometimes several small ones gather together and make one large spot, and sometimes a large spot is seen to be divided into many small ones. But, notwithstanding these changes, they all turn round with the Sun in the same time.
[Sidenote: How the relative distances of the Planets from the Sun are determined.]
The relative distances of the Planets from the Sun, and likewise from each other, are determined by the following methods: First, the distance of the two inferior Planets ☿ and ♀ from the Sun, in respect of the Earth’s distance from him, is had by observing their greatest Elongation from the Sun as they are seen from the Earth.