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they have broken through, so that the fire and water fly out of the clouds; the breaking whereof makes that noise which we call thunder, and the fire is lightning which is first seen, though the thunder crack he first given, because our sight is quicker than one hearing. For the sooner the thunder is heard after the lightnig is seen, the nearer it is to us.
Of Eclipses and their Causes.
BY eclipses in general is understood a defect of light happening in some of the celestial bodies, and is caused by the interposition of an opaque body between them and our sight. Now the opinion of astronomers is, that all the planets of themselves are dark bodies having no light but what they receive from the sun; but the sun and fixed stars are naturally luminous; whence it follows, that any planet in crossing betwixt the sun and our light, so also our primary planet coming betwixt the sun and its secondary, deprives that secondary of its light, and consequently renders such secondary planet unilluminated to its primary.
Of Eclipses of the Sun.
AN eclipse of the sun is caused by a diametrical interposition of the moon betwixt the sun and the earth, which commonly happens at the new moon, or when she is in conjunction with the sun; but every new moon doth not cause an eclipse, because of her latitude; yet the sun seldom escapeth a year together without appearing eclipsed in some part of the earth or other; because, twice in one year the sun and one node meet; also, if the conjunction or new moon doth not happen just at the sun’s passing by the node, but within a half a degree from the node, he then must suffer an eclipse greater or lesser, according as the node is nearer or remoter from him at the time of the
