2 Dr. IIerschel's Obfervatlons 
fituation in the Saturnian fyftem intitles them, very probably, 
to the fir ft and fecond place. This I have done to the end. 
that in future we may not be liable to miftake, in referring to 
former obfervations cr tables, where the five known fate Hites 
have been named according to the order they have hitherto 
been fuppofed to hold in the range of diftance from the planet. 
It may appear remarkable, that thefe fateliites fhould have 
remained fo long unknown to us, when, for a century and an 
half paft, the planet to which they belong has been the object 
of almoft every aftronomer’s curiolity, on account of the lin- 
gular phenomena of its ring. But it will be leen prefentlyv 
from the fituation and fize of the fateliites, that we could 
hardly expefl to difeover them till a telefcope of the dimenfions 
and aperture of my forty-feet reflector fhould be conftrufted ; 
and I need not obferve how much we Members of this Society 
muft feel ourfelves obliged to our Royal Patron, for his en- 
couragement of the lciences, when we perceive that the dil- 
\ 
covery of thefe fateliites is in ti rely owing to the liberal lupport 
whereby our moft benevolent Kins: has enabled his humble 
J o 
aftronomer ro complete the arduous undertaking of conftruct- 
ing this inftrument. 
The planet Saturn is, perhaps, one of the moft engaging 
objects that aftronomy offers to our view. As luch it drew 
my attention fo early as the year 1774; when, on the 17th 
of March, with a 5 ■§- feet reflector, I faw its ring reduced to 
a very minute, line, as reprefented in fig. 1. (Tab. I.) On the 
3d of April, in the fame year, I found the planet as it were 
ftYipped of its noble ornament, and dreffed in the plain fim- 
plicity of Mars. See fig. 2. I pafs over the following year, in 
which, with a 7- feet reflector, I faw the ring gradually open, 
till it came to the appearance exprelfed in fig. 3. (Tab. II.) the 
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