106 SATURN. 



Like Jupiter, it lias its moons ; like Jupiter it has bands- 

 crossing its disc, nearly parallel to its equator ; unlike 

 every other planet, it is surrounded by a ring, usually so 

 inclined that it stands out in front of the ball of the 

 planet. It is a broad, flat ring ; perhaps we might call 



it a bottomless placque. At times, when the edge of the 

 ring is presented to the sun, or, when the plane of the 

 ring passes through the centre of the earth, it appears as 

 a line across the ball, a line so narrow, that it can be seen 

 only by large telescopes. 



The thickness of the ring is 

 supposed by some observers 

 to be one hundred miles, by 

 others to be only forty miles. 

 With powerful glasses, the 

 ring is seen to be made up of several rings. When these 

 rings are tipped obliquely to the plane of Saturn's equa- 

 tor, dark open spaces are seen between the ball and the 

 ring ; these are supposed to be the sky ; dark curved 

 lines upon the plane of the rings are supposed to be- 



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