From what has gone before the reader will readily infer that these minor planets are of no sort of interest to the casual amateur who dabbles in Astronomy; and indeed that they are of very little interest to anybody. With a few general statistics, therefore, this chapter may be concluded. The total number of minor planets now known nearly reaches 500, and every year increases the list; but not, however, at as rapid a rate as was once the case, because the German mathematicians, who alone latterly have been willing to trouble themselves with the computation of the orbits, are understood to have announced that they are no longer able to keep pace with the discoveries made. Those who care to investigate in detail the circumstances of these planets will find great extremes in the nature of the orbits. Whilst the planet nearest to the Sun has a period of only 3 years, the most distant occupies nearly 9 years in performing its journey round the Sun. So, also, there are great differences in the eccentricities of the orbits and in their inclinations to the ecliptic. Whilst one planet revolves almost in the plane of the ecliptic, another (Pallas) has an orbit which is inclined no less than 34° to the ecliptic. One word, in conclusion, as to the names applied to these bodies. At the outset the names given were, without exception, chosen from the mythologies of ancient Greece and Rome, but, latterly, the most fantastic and ridiculous names have in many cases been selected, names which in too many instances have served no other purpose than that of displaying the national or personal vanity of the astronomers who applied them to the several planets. The French are great offenders in this matter. CHAPTER IX. JUPITER. The planet Jupiter occupies, in one sense, the first position in the planetary world, it being the largest of all the planets. Moreover, with the exception of Venus, it is the brightest of the planets. As with Mars, and for the like reason, Jupiter, when in the positions known as the Quadratures (or near thereto), exhibits a slight phase, but owing to the far greater distance from the Sun of Jupiter, compared with Mars, the deviation of the illuminated surface from that of a complete circle is very small; it is, however, perceptible at or near the time of quadrature, a slight shading off of the limb farthest from the Sun being traceable. Jupiter is noteworthy on account of two features, both of them more or less familiar, at least by name, to most people—its belts and its satellites,—both of which will be described in due course. The belts are dusky streaks, which vary from time to time both in breadth and number: most commonly two broad belts will be seen with two or three narrower ones on either side; but sometimes all are rather narrow, and their narrowness is made up for by an increase in their number. [Illustration: Fig. 14.—Jupiter, November 27, 1857 (Dawes).]