in general, an interval between two things, either with regard to time or place. See METAPHYSICS.

Accessible Distances, in Geometry, are such as may be measured by the chain. See GEOMETRY.

Inaccessible Distances, are such as cannot be measured by the chain, &c. by reason of some river, or the like, &c. which obstructs our passing from one object to another. See GEOMETRY.

Astronomy. The distance of the sun, planets, and comets, is found only from their parallax, as it cannot be found either by eclipses or their different phases: for from the theory of the motions of the earth and planets we know, at any time, the proportion of the distances of the sun and planets from us; and the horizontal parallaxes are in a reciprocal proportion to these distances. See ASTRONOMY.