Page:Popular Astronomy - Airy - 1881.djvu/125

just spoken, we may consider the force in the direction of MS to be resolved into two, one of which is in the direction of NM, perpendicular to the orbit, and the other is in the direction of OM, parallel to that part of the orbit. Now, observe this carefully. That part of the force which is in the direction NM, perpendicular to the orbit, produces an effect similar to that which gravity produces in the motion of a cannon ball : it makes the orbit curved. But that part which acts in the direction of OM, parallel to the orbit, produces a different effect; it accelerates the planet's motion in its orbit. Thus, in going from l towards L, the planet is made to go quicker and quicker. If you suppose the diagram (Figure 30) turned in such a manner that MS is vertical, S being downwards, you will see that the planet is under the same circumstances as a ball rolling down a hill. If a ball is going down a hill, as at M, Figure 37, the force of gravity, which is in the direction MS, may be
Fig. 37. resolved into two parts, one of which is a force in the direction NM, perpendicular to the hill side, and merely presses the ball towards , the hill the other is a force in the direction OM, making it to go the faster down the hill. In this manner, as long as the planet goes from k through M towards K, it is going quicker and quicker. This accounts for the difference of speed in different parts of the orbit, which I mentioned before. Now, remember how it has been explained that the curvature of a planet's