Fixed Stars

Fixed Stars are so call’d, because they always keep the same distance among themselves, and not because without motion: For they have two motions; one motion is in common with the whole Heaven, which is from east to west on the poles of the world, which carries all the stars along with it, and this revolution is made in 24 hours; the other motion is from the west to the east, on the poles of the ecliptick, which is very slow, for they do not make their revolution, according to that famous astronomer Tycho Brahe, in less than 25816 years. These stars are divided into several constellations. It is the general opinion, that the Fixed Stars are bodies that shine by their own light. The region of Heaven where the fixed stars are plac’d, is that which is called the firmament. They are believ’d not to be contain’d in the same spherical superficies, nor any of them so low as the planets, for this reason, because there is no parallax nor difference of aspect to be found, nor have they ever eclipsed any planets.

Definition taken from The Universal Etymological Dictionary, edited by Nathan Bailey (1736)

Falling Stars * Stimulaˊtion