fftke Planet Saturn. 149 



dinary distinctness, I examined the planet Saturn. The 

 ring reflects more hght than the body, and with a power ot 

 570 the colour of the bodv become.'! yellowish, while thai 

 of the ring remains more white. This gives us an oppor- 

 tunity to distinguish the ring from the body, in that part 

 where it crosses the disk, by means of the difference in the 

 colour of the reflected light. I saw the quintuple belt, and 

 the flattening of the body at the polar regions ; I could als j 

 perceive the vacant space between the two rings. 



The flattening of the polar regions is not in that gradual 

 manner as with Jupiter, it seems not to begin till at a high 

 latitude, and there to be more sudden than it is towards 

 the poles of Jupiter. I have often made the same ob- 

 servation before, but do not remember to have recorded it 

 any where. 



April 18 ; 10-feet reflector, power 300. The air is very 

 favourable, and I see the planet extremely well defined. 

 The shadow of the ring is vay black in its extent over the 

 disk south of the rinsr, where I see it all the way with great 

 distinctness. 



The usual belts are on the body of Saturn ; they cover a 

 much larger zone than the belts on Jupiter generally take 

 up, as may be seen in the figure 1 have given in Plate IX. ; 

 and also in a former representation of the same belts in 

 1794*. 



The figure of the body of Saturn, as I see it at present, is 

 certainly different from the spheroidical figure of Jupiter. 

 The curvature is greatest in a hijih latitude. 



I took a measure of the situation of the four points of the 

 greatest curvature, with my angular micrometer, and power 

 527. When the cross of the micrometer passed through 

 all the four points, the angle wliich gives the double lati- 

 tude of two of the points, one being north, the other south 

 of the ring, or equator, was 93*' 10'. The latitude there- 

 fore of the four points is 4fl° 38' ; it is there the greatest 

 curvature takes place. As neither of the cross wires can be 

 in the parallel, it makes the measure so difficult to ta.ke, 

 that very great accuracy catmot be expected. 



The most northern belt comes up to the place where the 

 rinif of Saturn passes behind the body, but the belt is bent 

 ai a contrary direction, being concave to the north, on ac- 

 count of its crossing the body on the side turned towards 

 us, and the north pole being in view. 



There is a very dark, but narrow shadow of the body 



• See Phil. Trans, for 1794, Table VI. page 31,'. 



K 3 upon 



