394 THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE ciia.p. 



now been ascertained that this is occupied %y 

 a zone of Minor Planets, the first of which 

 was discovered by Piazzi on January 1, 1801, 

 a worthy prelude to the succession of scientific 

 discoveries which form the glory of our cen- 

 tury. At present over 300 are known, but 

 certainly these are merely the larger among 

 an immense numbei;j some of them. doubtless 

 mere dust i 



-V -i) '" ' .- ■ 



■" -.. " V : "' JUPITER 



Beyond the Minor Planets we come to the 

 stupendous Jupiter, containing 300 times the 

 mass, and being 1200 times the size of OUf 

 Earth — larger indeed than all the bimt 

 planets put together. It is probabljf' iidt 

 solid, and from its great size still retOTffe a 

 large portion of the original heat, if we may 

 use such an expression. Jupiter usually 

 shows a number of belts, supposed to be clue 

 to clouds floating over the surface, which hftye 

 a tendency to arrange themselves in belta w 

 bands, owing to the rotation of the pla^^tt- 

 Jupiter has four moons or satellites. 



