2-1?. ASTUONO.MV.. 



atmosphere, in \vhicn spots and streaks are seen, the latter of which are 

 called Belts. That these are formed in some fluid substance is evident, 

 from their frequently varying their form, number, and their direction. 

 Sometimes several belts are seen across the body of the planet, sometimes 

 these are joined in one broad belt, and sometimes (but very rarely) 

 they appear to be in a diagonal direction. The form of Jupiter is that 

 of an oblute spheroid, his equatorial diameter exceeding his axis by six 

 thousand miles ; this, however, is so small in comparison with his bulk, 

 as to detach but little from his rotundity. The axis of Jupiter is nearly 

 perpendicular to the plane of his orbit, so that he has no variety of 

 seasons and here is another proof of INFINITE WISDOM ; for had his axis 

 been much inclined, vast tracts round the Pole would have been deprived 

 of the Sun's influence for six of our years together. This planet is 

 attended by four satellites, which revolve round him as their primary, 

 and with him round the Sun ; these satellites were discovered by 

 Galileo, in 1610, who called them Medicean stars, in compliment to the 

 family of Medici, who were his patrons. 



SATURN 



Is next to Jupiter : this is the most stupendous planet of our system, and, 

 except Uranus, the most distant ; and in consequence of his remote- 

 ness, his light is but pale and feeble. Saturn is distant from the Sun 

 nine hundred million of miles, and as his motion in his orbit is only 

 twenty-two thousand one hundred miles an hour, he is consequently 

 twenty-nine years one hundred and seventy-four days two hours in 

 completing his annual revolution. The diameter of Saturn is seventy- 

 nine thousand six hundred miles, so that he is about one thousand times 

 as large as the Earth ; for globular bodies are to each other as the cubes 

 of their diameters. The inclination of his axis to the planes of his orbit 

 is very small, no doubt for the same wise reason which occasioned 

 Jupiter's to be so; because, were it otherwise, each of Saturn's poles would 

 be immersed alternately, in fifteen years, in partial darkness ; at least 

 it would be that period without the influence, and even the sight of 

 the Sun. 



As Saturn is more than twice the distance of Jupiter from the Sun, 

 the light which he receives from him must be proportionably small, 

 but this deficiency is made up by his having an atmosphere resembling 

 that of Jupiter, and with seven attendant satellites, but with two 



