u6 KANT'S UNIVERSAL NATURAL HISTORY 



by the action of the rays of the sun, which by its force 

 scattered and removed those particles which had become 

 removed to a certain distance from the centre of the planet, 

 just as it does in its action on comets, and thereby marks 

 off the outer limit of their atmospheres. The inner border 

 of this Ring thus coming into existence, was determined 

 by the ratio of the velocity of the planet at its equator. 

 For at that distance from its centre where this velocity 

 produces equilibrium with the attraction of the place, is 

 the nearest point at which the particles ascending from 

 its body can describe circular orbits through the motion 

 proper to the axial rotation. The nearer particles seeing 

 that they required a greater velocity for such a revolution, 

 which they nevertheless could not possess, because even 

 at the equator of the planet .the movement is not more 

 rapid would thereby obtain more eccentric paths which 

 would cross each other, would weaken each other's motion, 

 and finally would be all precipitated upon the planet 

 from which they had risen. 



This strange and rare phenomenon presents a spectacle 

 which has always astonished the astronomers since its 

 discovery, and the cause of which no one has ever been 

 able to entertain a probable hope of discovering. But 

 we now see how it has arisen in an easy mechanical 

 way that is explicable without any new hypothesis. 

 What has happened in the case of Saturn as may easily 

 be perceived would occur just as regularly in the case 

 of every comet which had sufficient axial rotation, if 

 it were transported to a constant distance at which its 

 body could be gradually cooled. Nature is fruitful even 

 amid chaos, of admirable developments in the exercise 

 of the forces entrusted to her; and the product formed 



