FIGURE OF THE PLAKET SATUttN. G 



a-efle6llng light to each other : the rings and moons illuminating 

 the nights of the Saturnian : the globe and fatellites enlighl^- 

 ening the dark parts of khe rings : and the planet and rings 

 throwing back the fun's beams upon the moons, when they 

 are deprived of them at the time of their conjundions. ', 



It muft be conFefled that a detail of circumftances liketbefe, ^^^ 



appears to leave hardly any room far addition,, and yet the . :2 



following obfervations will prove tliat .there is a fingular[fcy " v 



lei'l, which diftinguiflies tiie iigure cf Saturn from that of. all .br. tr 



the other planets. 



It has already been mentioned on a former occafion, that fo its body oblate* 

 far back as the year 1776 I perceived that the body of Saturn 

 was not exa6lly round; and when I found in the year 1781 ^ 



that it was flaltened.at the poles at leaft as much as Jupiter, I 

 was infenfibly diverted from a more critical attention to the 

 reft of the figure. Prepolfelfed with its being fpheroidical, I 

 .nieafured (he tqualoria! and polar diameters in the year 1789, 

 and fuppofed there could be no other particularity to remark 

 in the figure of the planet. Wiien I perceived a certain irre- Reafons why the 

 gularity in other parts of the body, it was generally afcribed greater pecuiiari- 

 lo the interference of the ring, which prevents a complete view wereoverlookedl 

 of its whole contour; and in this error I might ftill have re- 

 Hiained, had not a late examination of the powers of my ten- 

 feet telelcope convinced me that I ought to rely with the 

 greateil confidence upon the truth of its reprefentations of the 

 moft minute objeSs I infpe^ed. 



The following obfervations, in which the fingular figure of 

 5aturn is fully inveftigated, contain niany remarks on the reft 

 of the appearances that may befeen when this beautiful planet 

 is examined with attention ; and though they are not imme- 

 diately neceflary to ray prefent fubjedt, I thought it right to 

 retain them, as they (how the degree of diftindinefs and pre- 

 cifion of iheadion of the telefcope, and the clearnefs of the 

 atmofphere at the time of obfervalion. 



April 1 2, 1 805. With a new 7-feet mirror of extraordinary very perfeft ob- 

 diftindtnefs, I examined the planet Saturn. The ring refleds fervation, in 

 vmore light than the body, and with a power of 570 the colour cumference was 

 of the body becomes yellowifh, while that of the ring remains feen to be flat- 

 more white, Thi fgives us an opportunity to diftinguifii the J^"^^^J" ^''^ 

 5 ■ ring 



