7177. They were also asked about the sun of our solar system, what it looked like from their planet. They said that it was large, and that it looked larger there than from other planets; they said that they were able to know this from other spirits' idea of the sun. They said in addition that their temperatures were moderate, being neither too hot nor too cold. I was then allowed to tell them that this was a provision made by the Lord, in order that they might not suffer from excessive heat because their planet was nearer to the sun than other planets are; for heat does not arise from nearness to the sun but from the depth and consequently the density of the layer of atmosphere, as is evident from the cold on high mountains, even on those in hot climates. Heat also varies according to whether the sun's rays fall directly or at an angle, as is evident from winter and summer seasons in any region. These are the things that I have been allowed to know about the spirits and inhabitants of the planet Mercury. At the end of the next chapter something will be said about spirits belonging to the planet Venus.