Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 037.djvu/162



HE Instrument is design'd to be of Use, where the Motion of the Objects, or any Circumstance occasioning an Unsteadiness in the common Instruments, renders the Observations difficult or uncertain.

The Contrivance of it is founded on this obvious Principle in Catoptricks: That if the Rays of Light diverging from, or converging to any Point, be reflected by a plane polish'd Surface, they will, after the Reflection, diverge from, or converge to another Point on the opposite Side of that Surface, at the same Distance from it as the first; and that a Line perpendicular to the Surface passing through one of those Points, will pass through both. Hence it follows, that if the Rays of Light emitted from any Point of an Object be successively reflected from two such polish'd Surfaces; that then a third Plane, perpendicular to them both, passing through the emitting Point, will also pass through each of its two successsivesuccessive [sic] Images made by the Reflections: All three Points will be at equal Distances from the common Intersection of the three Planes; and if two Lines be drawn thro' that common Intersection, one from the original Point in the Object, the other from that Image of it which is made by the second Reflection; they will Rh