368 THE ASTEROIDS BETWEEN MARS AND JUPITER. 



From... 3.15 to 3.25 0.13500 



Exterior to 3.25 0.13014 



Two maxima are observed ; the first from 2.55 to 2.75 ; the second 

 from 2.95 to 3.05. The orbits are least eccentric in the outer portion of 

 the zone. 



THE INCLINATIONS. 



10. The mean of the inclinations of the asteroids now known is 8° 5', 

 one degree greater than that of the sun's equator. The least inclined 

 orbit is that of Massilia, 0° 41'; the most inclined, that of Pallas,34o 42'. 

 The mean inclinations in different portions of the ring are given below : 



Interior to 2.25 4 40 



From 2.25 to 2.35 6 52 



From 2.35to2.45 6 34 



From 2.45 to 2.55 4 10 



From 2.55 to 2.65 9 22 



From 2.65 to 2.75 8 8 



From.... 2.75 to 2.85 11 50 



From . . . .2.85 to 2.95 7 19 



From 2.95 to 3.05 8 54 



From.... 3.05 to 3.15 7 45 



From....3.15to3.25 7 



Exteriorto 3.25 6 51 



The maxima are from 2.55 to 2.65, and from 2.75 to 2.85. Ten aste- 

 roids, one in seventeen, have inclinations greater than 20<^. When we 

 consider the great number of these bodies, together with the fact that in 

 their primitive, gaseous form their dimensions must have been much 

 greater than at present, it seems not improbable that collisions may 

 have occurred between comets and asteroids. The masses of the former 

 are doubtless in some cases comparable to those of the latter. In the 

 event of such impact, therefore, the direction of the planet's motion 

 might be very much modified. Possibly the rare instances of great in- 

 clination may thus be explained. 



THE DISTRIBUTION OF PERIHELIA. 



11. The longitudes of the perihelia of the asteroidal orbits are distrib- 

 uted as follows : 



From 0° to 30° , .• 19 



From 30 to 00 25 



From 00 to 90 13 



From 90 to 120 17 



From 120 to 150 13 



From 150 to 180 9 



From 180 to 210 8 



