A primary astronomy .. . oes the body of Saturn appear through a Telescope ? Like an oblate globe, of a lead color, striped withbelts, like those of Jupiter. [The oblateness of Saturn is really greater than that of Jupiter (Question 281); butas he is more remote than the latter planet, the depression at his poles, &c, is ren-dered less distinct.] 407. What remarkable appendage is connected with this Planet 1 He is surrounded by two wonderful Rings of a silverywhite color. 408. How are they situated with reference to the planet, and to eachother ? They are directly over his equator, the first a
A primary astronomy .. . oes the body of Saturn appear through a Telescope ? Like an oblate globe, of a lead color, striped withbelts, like those of Jupiter. [The oblateness of Saturn is really greater than that of Jupiter (Question 281); butas he is more remote than the latter planet, the depression at his poles, &c, is ren-dered less distinct.] 407. What remarkable appendage is connected with this Planet 1 He is surrounded by two wonderful Rings of a silverywhite color. 408. How are they situated with reference to the planet, and to eachother ? They are directly over his equator, the first about20,000 miles from his surface, and 20,000 miles is then an opening of 2,000 miles, when we cometo the exterior «ring, which is 10,000 miles wide. 409. How is it known that these Rings are separate from the bodyof the planet and from each other ? From the fact that the fixed stars, in the heavensbeyond, have been seen through the openings betweenthem. 8* 90 PRIMARY ASTRONOMY. TELESCOPIC VIEW OF PERPENDICULAR VIEW OF TUIRINGS OF SATURN. [1. The writer has oftenseen the opening betweenthe body of the planet andthe interior ring, as distinct-ly as it appears to the stu-dent in the adjoining cut. 2. This is an oblique viewof the rings, and about thebest that can be represents the planet asseen at the Cincinnati Ob-servatory, November, 1846. 3. We sometimes see theplanet when the edge of the rings is turned toward us, but we never get a perpen-dicular view of them. Could the planet be seen from apoint over either of his poles, the rings would doubtlessappear as represented in this second figure. 4. Under very powerful telescopes, these rings arefound to be again subdivided into an indefinite num-ber of concentric circles, one within the other.] 410. What is the thickness of theseRings ? It is estimated at about 100 miles. 411. Are they supposed to be solid, likethe body of the planet ? They are; from the fact that they sometimes cast astrong shado
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectastronomy, bookyear18
