202 BOOK OF NATURE LAID OPEN. 



But very different is the case with Jupiter, which 

 is the largest of all the planets, and adorned by his 

 belts, attended with his glorious retinue of four moons, 

 comes next in order in the heavens. The magni- 

 tude of this stupendous planet is, indeed, said to be 

 no less than 1400 times larger than the earth: his 

 year is .something less than twelve of ours, and he 

 moves at the rate of 29,894 miles in an hour. In 

 consequence of his distance from the sun, his light 

 and heat are computed to be only about one twenty- 

 seventh of what the earth receives, but the former 

 of these may be compensated by the number of his 

 inoons; by one or more of which, there is scarcely 

 any part of this planet but what is enlightened du- 

 ring the whole night, except his poles, and there is 

 no saying, but what has the appearance of Jupiter's 

 belt, may be something of an atmospheric nature, so 

 constituted as to imbibe, and considerably increase, 

 the heat of the sun's rays. Jupiter, in the heavens, 

 appears to the eye next in magnitude to Venus. 



Beyond the orbit of Jupiter moves Saturn, attend- 

 ed by a retinue of no less than seven satellites or 

 moons, and having his body surrounded by an in- 

 terior and exterior ring. Although the diameter of 

 this planet is not so large as Jupiter, his magnitude 

 is said to be no less than 966 times that of the earth, 

 and, moving at the rate of 22,072 miles in an hour, 

 he completes the revolution of his wide circle in a 

 period not much less than thirty of our years. 



The light and heat which he receives from the sun, 

 are computed to be about one hundredth part of what 



