72 STATEMENT AND EXPOSITION OF 



The Minor System. 



(101) After the separation of the great mass of Jupiter, the "abandonment of 

 the solar atmosphere would seem to have again occurred more exclusively in the 

 region of the solar equator; and thus" the Asteroid-mass and Mars appear to have 

 been separated; to be succeeded, in order, and with variety of constitution, by the 

 Earth, Venus, and Mercury. 



And so it would appear, on a smaller scale {within more restricted limits for the 

 balancing of the centripetal and centrifugal forces), was constituted that minor 

 system, which, in fact, resembles the whole great solar system, in the features and 

 mode of constitution already traced in changes on the larger scale. A system, viz., 

 in which the Asteroids and Mars, as far as may be, have the places respectively of 

 Neptune and Uranus on the gireater scale, and the Earth and Venus those of Saturn 

 and Jupiter [the Earth, (39), greater than Venus, from the accession, from regions 

 of the sun's atmosphere other than equatorial]. After these Mercury [and possibly 

 an interior planet], to have the place analogous to that of all the small planets (not 

 Asteroids) in the great solar system. 



EesemMances and Differences hetiveen /Saturn and the Earth. 



(102) It may not be without some interest to -exhibit in connexion the resem- 

 blances and differences between Saturn and the Earth — the Saturn of this Minor 

 System. These are: — 



Ist. In ancient times, an unusual oblateness of form, evinced [(43) and (96)] in 

 the case of both planets by the great distances of their satellites ; the outer satel- 

 lite of Saturn, and also our own moon, being each at the distance of more than 60 

 radii of its own primary. 



2d. Saturn and the Earth have each an abnormal density; that of Saturn being 

 too low, it would seem, because of the absorption, (43), of the rare material, which 

 would otherwise have constituted the half-planet interior to Uranus ; but the 

 Earth's density, (39), being made abnormally great by the absorption of an extra- 

 equatorial portion of the sun's nebulous atmosphere. 



3(?. Each of these planets exceeds the other planets in the same region of the 

 solar system with itself, in number of satellites. This is true, though the Earth 

 has but one; but that is the only one in the Minor System. 



4tth. Saturn is surrounded by two systems of bright rings and a dusky ring; and 

 the Earth [if we admit the existence of the Zodiacal Girdle, (78)] is surrounded 

 by something analogous to the dusky ring of the other planet ; though they differ 

 from one another to some extent, both in form and position ; and the one is pre- 

 served because the planet has many satellites, the other because its planet has but 

 one such accompaniment. [See, again, 7 of (43), and (79) to (83) inclusive.] 



btll. The Earth [2 of (39)] seems to have been instrumental in producing the 

 great inclination of the equator of its interior half-planet Venus, and Saturn [3 of 

 (43'i] as efficient in producing a similar effect upon the half-planet exterior to itself, 

 viz., Uranus. 



