38 



THE CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHER. 



one side of it during fifteen years, or one-half 

 of the period of the planet s revolution ; and 

 during the next fifteen years, the other side is 

 enlightened in its turn. Twice in the course of 

 thirty years, there is a short period, during which 

 nei her side is enlightened, and when, of course, 

 it ceases to be visible ; namely, at the time 

 when the sun ceases to shine on one side, and 

 is about to shine on the other. It revolves 

 round its axis, and, consequently, around Saturn, 

 in ten hours and a half, which is at the rate of a 

 thousand miles in a minute, or fifty-eight times 

 swifter than the earth s equator. When viewed 

 from the middle zone of the p anet, in the absence 

 of the sun, the rings will appear like vast lumi 

 nous arches, extending along the canopy of hea 

 ven, from the eastern to the western horizon ; 

 having an apparent breadth equal to a hundred 

 times the apparent diameter of our moon, and 

 will be seen darkened about the middle, by the 

 shadow of Saturn.* 



There is no other planet in the solar system, 

 whose firmament will present such a variety of 

 splendid and magnificent objects, as that of Sa 

 turn. Th yarious aspects of his seven moons, 

 one rising above the horizon, while another is 

 setting, and a third approaching to the meridian ; 



* See the engraving, fig. 7, which represents a 

 view of the appearance which the rings and moons 

 of Saturn will exhibit, in certain cases, about mid 

 night, when feehcld from a point 20 or 30 degrees 

 north from his equator. The shade on the upper 

 part of the rings represents the shadow of the body of 

 Saturn. The shadow will appear to move gradually 

 .0 the west as the morning approaches. 



one entering into an eclipse, and av*trier emerg 

 ing from it; one appearing as a crescent, and 

 another with a gibbous phase ; and sometimes 

 the whole of them shining in the same hemi 

 sphere, in one bright assemblage ; the majestic 

 motions of the rings, at one time illuminating 

 the sky with their splendour, and eclipsing the 

 stars ; at another, casting a deep shade over cer 

 tain regions of the planet, and unveiling to view 

 ihe wonders of the starry firmament are scenes 

 worthy of the majesty of the Divine Being to 

 unfold, and of rational creatures to contemplate. 

 Such magnificent displays of wisdom and om 

 nipotence lead us to conclude that the numerous 

 splendid objects connected with this planet were 

 not created merely to shed their lustre on naked 

 rocks and barren sands ; but that an immense 

 population of intelligent beings is placed in those 

 regions, to enjoy the bounty and to adore the 

 perfections of their great Creator. The double 

 ring of Saturn, when viewed through a good te 

 lescope, generally appears like a luminous handle 

 on each side of the planet, with a dark interval 

 between the interior edge of the ring and the 

 convex body of Saturn ; which is owing to its 

 oblique position with respect to our line of vision. 

 When its outer edge is turned directly towards 

 the earth, it becomes invisible, or appears like a 

 dark stripe across the disk of the planet. This 

 phenomenon happens once every fifteen years. 



The planet Herschel. This planet, which 

 is also known by the names of the Georgium 

 Sidus, and Uranus, was discovered by Dr. 

 Herschel on the 13th March, 1781. It &quot;is the 



