whilst the planets revolve around him. He is upwards of 1,000,000 times as large as our earth, and intended to give light, heat, and vegetation, to nine primary, and at least fifteen secondary worlds. By spots on his disk, he is discovered to turn on his axis in about 25 of our days. MERCURY is the first planet in the order of the system. It is computed to be about 37,000,000 of miles distant from the sun, and to move at the rate of 105,000 miles an hour, completing its orbit in about 88 of our days, or a little less than three months, which is the length of its year. It is not much larger than the moon, being about 3,200 miles in diameter. VENUS is the second planet from the sun, remarkable for its brightness; it is computed to be 68,000,000 of miles from it, and to move round it at the rate of 76,000 miles an hour, completing its annual revolution in 224 days, 17 hours, or above 7 months. diameter is 7,700 miles, and its diurnal revolution is performed in 23 hours, 22 minutes. Its Our EARTH is the third planet in the order of our system. Its diameter is 7,970 miles, and it turns round on its axis in the course of a day. Its distance from the sun is 95,000,000 of miles, and it moves at the rate of 58,000 miles in an hour, completing its orbit in the course of a year. The earth has one moon or Satellite at the distance of about 240,000 miles from it, which revolves around the Earth in 27 days, 7 hours, and 43 minutes. MARS is the fourth planet from the sun, from which it is distant about 144,000,000 of miles. It moves at the rate of 55,000 miles an hour, and completes its orbit in a little less than two of our years. Its diameter is 4,200 miles, and its rotation on its axis is performed in about 24 hours and 39 minutes. CERES FERDINANDEA is the fifth planet from the sun. Its diameter is 160 miles, and its distance from the sun is 260,000,000 of miles. PALLAS is the sixth planet in the order of the system. Its distance from the sun is 266,000,000 of miles, and its diameter 80 miles. JUPITER is the seventh planet in the order of our system, and the largest that has yet been discovered, being nearly a thousand times as large as our earth. He is computed to be about 490,000,000 of miles from the sun, to go at the rate of 29,000 miles an hour, and to be 89,000 miles in diameter. He finishes his annual period in eleven of our years, 314 days and 12 hours; and turns round his axis in 9 hours, 56 minutes; so that his year contains 10,470 days. He has four moons or attendants. SATURN is the eighth planet from the sun, and is about 900,000,000 of miles distant from it; it is carried along its orbit at the rate of 22,000 miles an hour, which it completes in 29 of our years. Its diameter is compu ted to be 79,000 miles; its rotation on its axis has been discovered by Herschel to be completed in about ten hours and a quarter. It has seven Moons, and a stupendous Ring surrounding its body, the nature of which astronomers have not yet ascertained. GEORGIUM SIDUS is the ninth planet in the order of our system, and at the immense distance of 1,800,000,000 miles, creeps round its orbit in 821 years. It is ninety times as large as the earth, and has three Moons or Attendants. COMETS are bodies which, in various and vastly eccentric orbits, revolve about the sun in different situations, and periods of time. The FIXED STARS, known by their never varying their situations in the heavens, also, by their twinkling, are supposed by astronomers to be suns to other systems, with planets revolving round them like our sun. Stern Winter's icy breath, intensely keen, ON the first of this month, we, in common with most civilized nations, date the commencement of the year. In the month of January, the weather in these islands is commonly, either a clear dry frost, or fog and snow, occasionally intermingled with rain. Nothing can be more wonderful than the effects of frost, which in the space of a few hours, arrests the running stream in its course, and converts the lake, that was curled by every breeze, into a firm plain. Water, when frozen, is expanded; that is, it takes up more room than before. This property of frost produces a beneficial effect to the farmer: for the hard clods of the ploughed fields are loosened and broken to pieces by the swelling of the water within them when it freezes, and thus the earth is prepared for receiving the seed in the spring; while, -The frost concocted glebe Draws in abundant vegetable soul, And gathers vigour for the coming year." Numerous natural phenomena are produced by frost. The water of clouds freezing slowly and crystalizing in little icy darts or stars, form by their assemblage the beautiful flakes of snow. Hailstones are drops of rain suddenly congealed by frost into a hard mass, so as to preserve their figure. When dew or mist freezes, as it frequently does, on every object on which it falls, it becomes hoar frost, producing figures of incomparable beauty and elegance. As the cold of this inclement season advances, the birds collect in flocks, and, rendered bold by want, approach the habitations |