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or THE SOLAR SYSTEM, A~ND THE

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Besides the number of their moons, the twoplanets, Jupiter, and Saturn, ave distinguishedfrom the rest in a manner still more remarkable.The body of Jupiter is surrounded by severalparallel faint substances called Belts. And Sa-turn has a magnificent luminous Ring, whichencompasses him, at such a distance, that several-of the stars may be frequently seen between theinward surface of the ring and the body of theplanet. But neither these appearances, nor the■ satellites themselves, can be discerned withoutthe assistance of a telescope.

Having enumerated the planets and their at-tendants, the Comets are now the only bodiesbelonging to our system, which remain to bementioned; and of these the number is un-known. But from a variety of observationswhich have been made on some of the mostremarkable ones, it has been found that theyjnove round the Sun, and cross the orbits of theplanets in all manner of directions. They arealso solid opaque bodies, of different magni-tudes, like the planets; and are distinguishedfrom them principally, by long beards of trans-parent hair, or fiery tails, which continuallyissue from that side of them which is furthestfrom the Sun.

The orbits in which these vast bodies move,are exceedingly long ovals, or very eccentricellipses, of such amazing circumferences, that8 in