VIII. On the rotation of the planet Saturn upon its axis

Abstract

In a late paper on the multiplicity of the regular belts of the planet Saturn, I pointed out an analogy, which might lead us to surmise that it had a pretty quick rotation upon its axis; I can at present announce the reality of that rotation. The following series of observations, in which Saturn has been traced through one hundred and fifty-four revolutions of its equator, will sufficiently confirm it. The changes in the belts of Jupiter, it is well known, are so frequent, that we find some difficulty to make our observa­tions of them agree to within 3, 4, or 5 minutes of time; but the belts on Saturn, which I have been lately observing, seem to have undergone no very material change, during the course of the two last months; so that we may hope the period of the rotation of this planet, which will be assigned in this paper, may be looked upon as having a considerable degree of exactness.