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been geometrically expressed equally well
                                         with the earth or any other point fixed. But
                                         in Kepler’s case the obviously implied phys-
                                         ical theory of the planetary motions, even
                                         before Newton explained the simplicity of
                                         conception involved, made astronomers quite
                                         ready to waive the claim for a rigid proof of
                                         the earth’s motion by measurement of an
                                         annual parallax of stars, which they had in-
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