CERTAIN HARMONIES OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM. 71 



(100) 111 the satellite systems we find the orbit of the outermost satelhte of 

 Saturn making an angle of about 14° with the plane of his equator and that of 

 the rings, this angle being about one-half of that which the latter makes with 

 Saturn's orbit, while the orbits of the other satellites are nearly in the plane of 

 rings and the equator. 



Then the orbit of our oion tnoon has a mean inclination of something less than 

 5° 9' to the orbit of the Earth ; while the variable inclination to the Earth's equator is 

 more than four times as great ; as though the moon in the nebulous state had been 

 " abandoned" in the form of a spheroidal shell before the axis of the earth, (68), 

 was established ; and so with Saturn's outer satellite, under it may be even more 

 disturbing circumstances, (43) ; while the orbits of the inner satellites and the rings 

 of Saturn, having a later history, nearly coincide with the plane of his equator, the 

 same being very nearly the case with the satellites of Jupiter ; the outer one, not- 

 withstanding, justifying its character as shown in Table (D) in (20), by exhibiting 

 an inclination greater than that of either of the other three. 



The orbits of the satellites of Uranus are nearly perpendicular to the plane of 

 his orbit ; and so that their motions are even retrograde ; while the equator of the 

 planet [3 of (43)], inclined at an angle of about TQg", has its rotation direct ; all 

 exhibiting, as it would seem, the effect of the great transference of material to 

 Saturn, described in (43). 



And although, at present [see 3 of (43)], the equator is inclined to the orbits of 

 the satellites at an angle of about 60°; yet, if it be indeed allowable to refer the 

 situation of all these to that veo-y ancient time when the ascending node of the 

 equator on the planet's orbit nearly coincided with the descending nodes of the 

 orbits of the satellites, then all would be found approximating to a coincidence in 

 the same plane, the several inclinations of all of tliem to the plane of the planet's 

 orbit being now near to 79°; but the direction of rotation of the planet the reverse 

 of that of the revolutions of the satellites. 



It might almost seem then, as if, in the great transference of material to the 

 ancient Saturn here again spoken of, the rotation of the outer, and mostly rarer, 

 portions of the mass had been most affected; so that, in the satellite-formation, tJie 

 resultant rotation became even retrograde, tohile the condensing planet conformed 

 to the usual result of a direct rotation ; though (in vjhat loas apologetically charac- 

 terized as the tilting uj) of this lohole system^ all ivere constrained to revolve in i^lanes 

 nearly at right angles to the planefs orbit, and all nearly in the same plane. 



The satellite of Neptune revolves in an orbit having a large inclination to the 

 plane of the planet's orbit, and the motion is retrograde ; but whether that also 

 marks the direction of the rotation of the planet's equator, does not yet appear ; 

 nor uihich direction, therefore (that of revolution, or that of rotation), might be 

 regarded as having been established before the other. 



