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RefNoMS/257/2/10
AltRefNoSa.392
Previous numbersES2/3/392
LevelItem
Title'The Meteoric Theory of Saturn's Rings' by Seymour Morse Davies
Date7 December 1866
DescriptionRemarks on Saturn historically seen as the most distant of all the ‘members of the solar system from the sun’ and the saturnian system. Davies acknowledges Mr [Richard Anthony] Proctor’s work regarding the planet, and that he is merely adapting his view that the rings are a ‘vast crowd of satellites revolving round’ and argues they are too small to be individually distinguished. Davies refers to his theory as a supplement to Proctor’s ‘Saturn and Its System’.

Davies remarks on the question if Saturn’s rings are a ‘cloud of minute satellites’ how and from where were they attached. Discussion on Saturn’s magnitude similar to Jupiter, orbit, velocity of the planet, distance from the sun, and the formation of the rings. Reference to the mean adjustment of Saturn’s orbital motion to the solar motion in space, and the gravitation to the sun.

Discussion regarding the placement of the planets in a decreasing order of magnitude, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus.

Includes a diagram showing the sun at the centre, as well as Saturn’s Uranus’s and Neptune’s paths ‘under the supposition that the sun is at rest’. Remarks on the modification introduced by the sun’s motion in space. Includes a diagram depicting the sun starting at rest, with Saturn with his orbital velocity be impressed with the solar motion.

Includes a diagram showing the path of Uranus and the sun decreasing one revolution of Uranus, as well as the direction of orbital velocity, and three arrows denoting the directions of the solar motion.

Includes a diagram depicting paths of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune and the sun during one revolution of Neptune. In the diagram the sun is meant to move the length of one diameter of Uranus’s orbit during one revolution of Saturn round him. Davies remarks the diagram clearly shows that the path of Saturn never deviates greatly from the sun’s.

Davies remarks on the proximity of Saturn to the sun, in comparison to Uranus and Neptune, and its larger velocity.

Reference to Mr Proctor’s theory of Saturn’s rings representing satellites gradually approaching their primary.
Extent30p
FormatManuscript
PhysicalDescriptionInk on paper
AccessStatusOpen
RelatedRecordMS/257/2/9
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