394. THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE CHAP, 
now been ascertained that this is occupied by 
a zone of Minor Planets, the first of which 
was discovered by Piazzi on January 1, 1801, 
a worthy prelude to the succession of scientific 
discoveries which form the glory of our cen- » 
tury. At present over 300 are known, but 
certainly these are merely the larger among 
an immense number, some of them doubtless 
mere dust. 
JUPITER 
Beyond the Minor Planets we come to the 
stupendous Jupiter, containing 300 times the 
mass, and being 1200 times the size of our 
Earth —larger indeed than all the other 
planets put together. It is probably not 
solid, and from its great size still retains a 
large portion of the original heat, if we may 
use such an expression. Jupiter usually 
shows a number of belts, supposed to be due 
to clouds floating over the surface, which have 
a tendency to arrange themselves in belts or 
bands, owing to the rotation of the planet. 
Jupiter has four moons or satellites. 
J we see inet gee ne 
