86 



THE CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHER. 



that other fragments of a similar description may 

 be discovered. Dr. Brewster attributes the fall 

 of meteoric stones* to the smaller fragments of 

 these bodies happening to come within the sphere 

 of the earth s attraction. His ingenious rea 

 sonings on this subject, and in support of Dr. 

 Gibers hypothesis above stated, may be seen in 

 Edin. JEncy. vol. ii. p. 641, and in his u Sup 

 plementary chapters to Ferguson s Astronomy.&quot; 



The facts to which I have now adverted seem 

 to unfold a new scene in the history of the dis 

 pensations of the Almighty, and to warrant the 

 conclusion, that the earth is not the only globe 

 in the universe which is subject to physical 

 changes and moral revolutions. 



The Planet Jupiter. This planet is 490 

 millions of miles distant from the sun, and per 

 forms its annual revolution in nearly twelve of 

 our years, moving at the rate of twenty-nine 

 thousand miles an hour. It is the largest planet 

 in the solar system ; being 89,000 miles in di 

 ameter, or about fourteen hundred times larger 

 than the earth. Its motion round its axis is per 

 formed in nine hours and fifty-six minutes ; and, 

 therefore, the portions of its surface about the 

 equator move at the rate of 28,000 miles an hour, 

 which is nearly twenty-seven times swifter than 

 the earth s diurnal rotation. The figure of Ju 

 piter is that of an oblate spheroid, the axis, or 

 diameter passing through the poles, being about 

 6000 miles shorter than that passing through the 

 equator. The Earth, Saturn, and Mars are 

 also spheroids ; and it is highly probable that 

 Mercury, Venus, and Herschel are of a similar 

 figure, though the fact has not yet been ascer 

 tained by actual observation. When viewed 

 with a telescope, several spots have been occa 

 sionally discovered on the surface of this planet, 

 by the motion of which, its rotation was deter 

 mined. 



But what chiefly distinguishes the surface of 

 Jupiter is several streaky appearances, or dusky 

 strips, which extend across his disk, in lines 

 parallel to his equator. These are generally 



Meteoric stones, or, what are generally termed 

 aerolites, are stones which sometimes fall from the 

 upper regions of the atmosphere, upon the earth. 

 The substance of which they are composed is, for the 

 most part, metallic; but the ore of which they con 

 sist is not to be found in the same cortstituent pro 

 portions in any terrestrial substances. Their fall is 

 generally preceded by a luminous appearance, a hiss 

 ing noise, and a loud explosion ; and, when found 

 immediately after their descent, are always hot. 

 Their size differs, from small fragments, of inconsi 

 derable weignt, to the most ponderous masses. Some 

 of the largest portions of these stones have been 

 found to weigh from 300 Ibs. to several tons ; and 

 they have often descended to the earth with a force 

 sufficient to bury them many feet under the soil. 

 Some have supposed that these bodies are projected 

 from volcanoes in the moon ; others, that they pro 

 ceed from volcanoes on the earth ; while others ima 

 gine that they are generated in the regions of the 

 atmosphere ; but the true cause is, probably, not yet 

 ascertained. In some instances, these stones have 

 penetrated through the roofs of houses, and proved 

 deiHructive to the inhabitants. 



termed his belts. Three of thfse belts, or zones 

 nearly equi-distant from each other, are most fre 

 quently observed ; but they are not regular or 

 constant in their appearance . f Sometimes c oly 

 one is to be seen, sometimes five, and sometii ie.t 

 seven or eight have been distinctly visible; and, 

 in the latter case, two of them have been known 

 to disappear during the time of observation. On 

 the 28lh May, 1780, Dr. Herschel perceived 

 &quot; the whole surface of Jupiter covered with small 

 curved belts, or rather lines, that were not con 

 tinuous across his disk.&quot; Though these belts 

 are generally parallel to each other, yet they are 

 not always so. Their breadth is likewise varia 

 ble j one belt having been observed to grow nar 

 row, while another in its neighbourhood has in 

 creased in breadth, as if the one had flowed into 

 the other. The time of their continuance is also 

 uncertain; sometimes they remain unchanged 

 for several months, at other times, new belts 

 have been formed in an hour or two. What 

 these belts or variable appearances are it is diffi 

 cult to determine. Some have regarded them as 

 strata of clouds floating in the atmosphere of Ju 

 piter ; while others imagine, that they are the 

 marks of great physical revolulions which are 

 perpetually changing the surface of that planet. 

 The former opinion appears the most probable. 

 But, whatever be the nature of these belts, the 

 sudden changes to which they are occasionally 

 subject, seem to indicate the rapid operation of 

 some powerful physical agency ; for some of 

 them are more than five thousand miles in 

 breadth ; and since they have been known to dis 

 appear in the space of an hour or two, and even 

 during the time of a casual observation agents 

 more powerful than any with which we are ac 

 quainted must have produced so extensive an 

 effect. 



Jupiter is attended by four satellites or moons, 

 which present a very beautiful appearance when 

 viewed through a telescope. The first moon, or 

 that nearest the planet, is 230,-OCO miles dislant 

 from its centre, and goes round it in 42 hours ; 

 and will appear from its surface four times 

 larger than our moon does to us. The second 

 moon, being farther distant, will appear about 

 the size of ours ; the third, somewhat less ; and 

 the fourth, which is a million of miles distant 

 from Jupiter, and takes sixteen days to go round 

 him, will appear only about one-third the diame 

 ter of our moon. These moons suffer frequent 

 eclipses from passing through Jupiter s shadow, 

 in the same way as our moon is eclipsed by 

 passing through the shadow of the earth. By 



t A representation of these belts, in the positions 

 in which they most frequently appear, is exhibit 

 ed in the engraving, Fig. 2. Fig. 1. represents ths 

 double ring of Saturn, as it appears when viewed 

 through a powerful telescope Figures 1,2,8, 4, 

 and 5, represent Saturn, Jupiter, Herschei. the 

 Earth and Moon, in their relative sizes and pro 

 portions. 



