The Mountaineer. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1859-1861, 1859-11-26

or moons, of which there are nineteen.
Besides these bodies, there is an un-
known numberof bodies called COMETS.
The primary planets are Mercury,
Venus, the Earth, Mars, Yesta, Ceres,
Pallas, Juno, Astrea, Flora, Victoria,
Iris, Metis, Hebe, Parthenope, Egeria,
Irene, Hygeia, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,
and Neptune, besides number Of
other ASTEROIDS, recently discovered,
whose names ] have not given. The
Earth has one satellite, the Moon; Ju-
Epiter has four; Saturn, seven; Uranus
supposed to have SIX; and Neptune one.
The planets reYolyc round the sun,
from west to east, on nearly one level
or plane, corresponding with the centre
of his body, and In the same direction.
The moons also revolye round theirre-
spectiyc planets, and IN the same d.
rection, from west to east. These
motions are called REVOLUTIONARY
motions; and they are double in the
case of the moons, which have at once
. revolution round their planets, and q
revolution, in company with the planets,
round the sum- The path Of d planet
inits revolution Is called ORBIT. Be
sides this motion Of revolution, each
planet, secondary rs we'll as primary,
and the sun also, has q motion in ifs
own body, like that Of o bobbin upon d
spindle An imaginary line, forming,
as it were, the spindle Of the sun Or
planet, is called the AXIS; and the two
endsof the axis are denominated the
POLES, The axes of the sun and
planets are MI nearly at d right angle
with the plane of the revolutionary
19Qy ei1ents. The motion on the axis
is called the RoTAToRY motion. q
! shall now give d more minute des-
cription Of the Sun and its attendant
planets, moons and comets, which COM
prise what is known as the Solar System.
The Sen is q sphere or globe, Of
So, 600 miles in diameter, or over a
million times the Aizo of this enrth.
moving round its axis in. % days.
Whom viewed through d telescope, its
surface appears very bright and lumin-
Gus, as il imparting both heat and
light to all the surrounding planets.
| "A number Of dark spots may, however,
be seen on different parts of his sur
face. These consist Of q nucleus,
which is much darker than the rest,
and surrounded BY o mist, or smoke;
and they are SO changeable as FREE
quently to vary during the time Of
observation. Some of the largest Of
them exceed the bulk Of the whole
earth, and are often seen for three
months together; and they are sup
posed to be cavities in the body Of the
sun. Though the sun is SO much
larger than the earth, its matter is
only about one-fourth the density Of
our planet, or. but little more than the
density Of water. ... .., ,....
~ The sun is surrounded to q great
distance by a faint light, or luminous
matter Of great thinness, shaped like .
lens or magnifying glass, the body Of
the sun being in the centre, and the
luminous y \ Jus matter eNtendlhg 70 .ne plans
% the planetary Iev '1 . ull ! !
teIninates Y Z poln.' someone's 3 =
may ee seen ssl s before I sunrise g aitel
sI u,s g., = .he lollh y Z :, cone Polntihg
oD,lguely ,, auo. rs M 4, ins sun na PPsn'
= ~ au 3 oa,.sy .o 800 49, lshl
~ i 4 W 'Iahs sa = .als. NJ y
a;Iaa S;a,a 3 81. = aDou: ~
= mo-. d hours and MINUTES - ana rsv 81.