40
THE BEAUTY OF THE HEAVENS.
Herschel, in his discovery of this planet, which, in honour of the reigningmonarch, he named the Georgium Sidus ; by the astronomers of most foreigncountries it is called Herschel, after its discoverer ; by the astronomers ofPrussia, and some others, it is called Uranus : by this name it is now mostgenerally known.
Uranus appears to us about the size of a star of the smallest visible magni-tude, having a faint blue light; it may, occasionally, be discovered without thehelp of a telescope, in clear weather, and in the absence of the moon ; but thedisc appears distinct and well defined, when observed through a telescope mag-nifying two or three hundred times.
The scene represents, in the upper figure, a telescopic view of the planet,as seen with a great magnifying power. The small lower figures represent ourearth and moon, of the proportion their diameters bear to the planet Uranus , which,perhaps, makes a more satisfactory impression on the mind, of the dimensionsof this planet; and, with reference to its diminutive appearance in the heavens,gives a clearer idea of its vast distance than a statement in figures.
Uranus is accompanied by six satellites, all of which move round him nearlyat right angles to the plane of his orbit; whereas, the orbits of the satellites ofJupiter and Saturn are nearly in the same plane with the orbits of the planetsthemselves. The most remarkable phenomenon, however, exhibited by thesatellites of Uranus , is, that their motion is retrograde, or directly the reverse ofthat of the satellites of the other planets, and of the planets themselves, whichwe have shewn to be in a direction from west to east; whereas, the satellitesof Uranus move round him in a direction from east to west.
The first, or nearest satellite to the planet, is distant
from it .
The second.
The third .
The fourth.
The fifth.
The sixth .
230,330 miles.
298,830
348,390
399,590
746,240
1,597,700
Days. Hours. Min.
The nearest satellite revolves about the planet in ... 5 . 21 . 25
The second. 8.17.
The third. 10 . 23 . 4
The fourth . 13. 11. 5
The fifth. 38 . 2 .
The sixth.107 . 16 . 40