Project Gutenberg 2022-02-12 Public domain in the USA. 136 Somerville, Mary 1780 1872 Somerville, Mary Fairfax A Preliminary Dissertation on the Mechanisms of the Heavens $aUnited States :$bCarey & Lea,$c1832. Laura Natal Rodrigues (Images generously made available by Hathi Trust Digital Library.) "A Preliminary Dissertation on the Mechanism of the Heavens" by Mary Somerville is a scientific publication written in the early 19th century. The text explores the principles of physical astronomy, examining the laws governing celestial motions and the forces that maintain the stability of the solar system. It serves to illuminate the remarkable achievements of astronomers throughout history while encouraging a deep contemplation of the universe's mechanisms. At the start of the dissertation, Somerville lays the groundwork for her investigation into physical astronomy, emphasizing the importance of experiential knowledge and the comparative analysis of phenomena both on Earth and in the cosmos. She initially discusses the foundational work of Newton and the laws of motion that link terrestrial observations to celestial dynamics. Somerville articulates the significance of gravity and attraction in maintaining the orbits of bodies in space, while also advocating for a comprehensive understanding of the mathematical principles that underpin these astronomical phenomena. This opening sets the stage for a deeper inquiry into the evolving complexities of celestial mechanics and the enduring pursuit of truth through scientific exploration. (This is an automatically generated summary.) https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/012309532 20220212053532somerville 1832 US Reading ease score: 36.5 (College-level). Difficult to read. en Celestial mechanics QB Text Category: Science - Physics 184088 2025-07-26T13:38:07.324879 text/html 159965 2024-10-18T19:18:31 text/html 222222 2025-07-26T13:38:10.578865 application/epub+zip 222981 2025-07-26T13:38:08.341884 application/epub+zip 171785 2025-07-26T13:38:07.797860 application/epub+zip 190206 2025-07-26T13:38:12.589820 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 180916 2025-07-26T13:38:10.255902 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 186638 2022-09-30T09:55:50.707844 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 174852 2025-07-26T13:38:07.166876 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 154844 2024-10-18T19:18:31 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 16229 2025-07-26T13:38:12.744815 application/rdf+xml 5666 2025-07-26T13:38:08.056849 image/jpeg 1727 2025-07-26T13:38:07.918841 image/jpeg 166751 2025-07-26T13:38:07.342868 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia