THE SATELLITES. 175 



Laplace proposes, it is not yet proved, we believe, 

 that the arrangement would be stable, under the 

 influence of the disturbing forces. And we may 

 add that such an arrangement, in which the 

 motion of one body has a coordinate reference to 

 two others, as the motion of the moon on this 

 hypothesis would have to the sun and the earth, 

 neither motion being subordinate to the other, is 

 contrary to the whole known analogy of cosmical 

 phenomena, and therefore has no claim to our 

 notice as a subject of discussion. 



2. In turning our consideration to the satellites 

 of the other planets of our system, there is one 

 fact which immediately arrests our attention ; 

 the number of such attendant bodies appears to 

 increase as we proceed to planets farther and 

 farther from the sun. Such at least is the general 

 rule. Mercury and Venus, the planets nearest 

 the sun, have no such attendants, the Earth has 

 one. Mars, indeed, who is still farther removed, 

 has none ; nor have the minor planets, Juno, 

 Vesta, Ceres, Pallas ; so that the rule is only 

 approximately verified. But Jupiter, who is at 

 five times the earth's distance, has four satellites ; 

 and Saturn, who is again at a distance nearly 

 twice as great, has seven, besides that most extra- 

 ordinary phenomenon his ring, which, for pur- 

 poses of illumination, is equivalent to many 

 thousand satellites. Of Uranus it is difficult to 

 speak, for his great distance renders it almost im- 



