438 ASTRONOMY. 



little reddish. Some spots have been observed 

 upon its surface, from which its rotation round its 

 axis, and the inclination of its axis to the plane of 

 its orbit, have been determined. 



Ceres Ferdinandea is a very small planet, situated 

 next without Mars; it was discovered on the 

 first day of the present century by Mr. Piazzi, an 

 Italian astronomer. 



Pallas is another very small planet, discovered 

 by Dr. Gibers of Bremen, on the 28th of March, 

 1802. 



Harding is the last discovered planet, so called 

 after the first observer, M. Harding. 



Jupiter is the brightest planet next to Venus. 

 When viewed by a telescope, several belts are ob- 

 served across its disc, parallel to its equator: these 

 belts are supposed to be ranges of clouds in the 

 atmosphere of the planet. Jupiter is surrounded 

 by four moons of different sizes, which move about 

 in different times. These moons are sometimes 

 eclipsed by the shadow of Jupiter falling upon 

 them. These eclipses have been found of great 

 use in determining the longitudes of places. 



Saturn can hardly be seen by the naked eye. 

 When examined by a telescope, it exhibits a very 

 remarkable appearance. It is surrounded by a 

 thiu, flat, broad luminous ring, which surrounds 

 the body of the planet, but does not touch it. 

 This ring casts a strong shadow upon the planet, 

 and appears to be divided into two, by a distinct 

 line in the middle of its breadth. This ring is 

 circular, but appears elliptical from its being 

 viewed obliquely. Besides this ring, Saturn has 

 seven moons of different sizes, and its body is 

 surrounded also by belts, like those of Jupiter. 



The Georgium Sidus, with its six satellites, have 



