December 26, [884.] 



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MAP OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM. 



The orbits of the five inner planets and of many of the periodic comets are given in the accompany. 

 mg diagram, which is drawn approximately to scale, the orbits of the satellites being enlarged to pre- 

 vent confusion Saturn would appear at a distance of 3.62 inches from the sun, if its orbit were drawn 

 on the same scale Uranus at a distance of 7.29 inches, and Neptune at a distance of 12.2S inches. The 

 ut f P TT mdlCa r tes , the re S ion within which the asteroids, or smaller planets, are found; and the 

 ™ 0f ^ he u largeSt ° f these ' and those lon S est known, -Vesta, Ceres, Pallas, and Juno, -are o- ive n 

 The earth has one moon; Mars, two; Jupiter, four; Saturn, eight; Uranus, four ; and Neptune, one. 

 Ceres, the first asteroid, was found in 1801, Pallas in 1802, Juno in 1804, and Vesta in 1807. The 

 first asteroids discovered ranged between 300 and 600 kilometres in diameter; while the smaller ones 

 which have been more recently found, often are not more than from 20 to 50 kilometres in diameter 

 do to 25 miles). The distance of the sun from the earth is said to be 92,500,000 miles ; and the distance 

 ot me nearest fixed star, if given on the same scale as the diagram, would be 78,000 inches (about a mile 

 and a quarter;. v 



