ASTRONOMY. 243 



luminous rings, which encompass his body at a considerable distance 

 from it, and shines with reflected light. Many conjectures have been 

 formed respecting these rings, but from their immense magnitude, and 

 their appearing to be opaque, shining only from reflected light, they 

 are probably solid, habitable, bodies. Besides these rings, Saturn has 

 seven satellites revolving round him at different distances. 



Saturn turns on his axis in ten hours and fifteen minutes, at the rate 

 of twenty-two thousand four hundred miles per hour at his equator ; 

 belts similar to those of Jupiter are frequently seen on his surface, which 

 probably proceed from the same causes. 



Four new planets have been discovered within the present century ; 

 their orbits are between Mars and Jupiter ; they are named 



VEST A, 



Which is considered to be nearest to the Sun, and her mean distance 

 from him is computed at two hundred and twenty-two millions of miles. 

 She is very small, but no accurate estimate has yet been formed of her, 

 some saying that her diameter is only eighty, while others reckon four 

 thousand miles. She performs her revolution round the Sun in five 

 years and twenty-three days; the length of her day and night is 

 unknown. 



CEEES 



Is two hundred and sixty-five millions of miles from the Sun ; she per- 

 forms her revolution round him in four years twenty-one days and a half. 

 Her diameter is estimated at one hundred and sixty miles. 



PALLAS 



Is two hundred and sixty-five millions of miles from the Sun, and makes 

 her circuit in the same time as Ceres. Herschel estimates her diameter 

 at thirty miles, but others at one hundred and ten miles. 



JUNO 



Is two hundred and ninety millions of miles from the Sun, and is five 

 years one hundred and eighty-two days and a half in performing her 

 course. She appears like a star of the eighth magnitude; the measure of 

 her diameter is not known. Her orbit lies between Mars and Ceres. 



