5^2 



[Vol. IV., No. 99. 



THE SUN AND THE PLANETS, THEIR COMPARATIVE DIMENSIONS. 



The accompanying illustration (borrowed from Guillemin's ' Le ciel ') shows at a glance the relative size of the sun and 

 planets. The sun is represented in an abnormally spotted condition, it being doubtful whether he ever displays so pitted a face. 

 The small planets, or asteroids, one or more of which are discovered each month, could not be represented on so small a scale, 

 as they would be invisible, the actual diameters of some not being more than a few miles. The overwhelming size of the sun is 

 well brought out ; its volume is six hundred times that of all the planets ; and, if placed in a balance, it would outweigh seven 

 hundred and forty times their total mass. The following table shows the relative masses and densities of the planets : — 



PLANETS. 



Mercury 



Venus . 



MASS. DENSITV. PLANETS. 



0.075 x -37° Earth . 



0.787 0.905 I Mars 



MASS. 



DENSITY. 



PLANETS. 



MASS. 



DENSITY. 



1 PLANETS. 



MASS. 



DENSITY 



I. OOO 



I. OOO 



Jupiter . 



309.028 



O.243 



Uranus . . 



• 18.542 



0.220 



O.IO9 



O.692 



Saturn . 



. 92.394 



O.I33 



1 Neptune . 



• I5-77I 



0.2II 



