Kircher: Iter Exstaticum Coeleste (1660)

PRELUDE ON JUPITER.

§. I. Concerning the Zones or bands of Jupiter. 262
§. II. Concerning the rotation of Jupiter, or the oscillation around its own center. 264
§. III. Concerning Jupiter's atmosphere and its surface roughness. 267
§. IV. Concerning the four stars around Jupiter, which are called its Satellites or Companions, and their position, motion, etc. 268 These are the "Galilean moons" discovered in 1610.
§. V. Whether there are more than four Satellites of Jupiter. 273
§. VI. Concerning the structure and nature of Jupiter. 278

CHAPTER VII.

Concerning the Journey to the globe of Jupiter, and its wonderful workmanship in the nature of things. It contains VIII Scholias Scholia: explanatory commentaries or lectures in which the influence of Jupiter on these lower realms is discussed; the distance of the Jovian companions from Jupiter and from each other, and their motions, etc. 278 & following.

PRELUDE ON SATURN.

§. I. Concerning observations of Saturn and its Companions by means of the telescope. 301
§. II. Concerning other phenomena of Saturn and its Companions, and the various opinions of Authors regarding them. 302
§. III. Concerning the structure of Saturn and its Companions. 305

CHAPTER VIII.

Concerning the Journey to the globe of Saturn. It contains X Scholias in which the nature and effects of Saturn are discussed; why its Companions create such diverse shapes with it; the size of Saturn and its distance from the Earth; the rotational motion of Saturn and its Companions; the phenomenon of Saturn's "little handles"; original: "ansularum." Early astronomers described Saturn's rings as "ansae" or handles before they were clearly identified as rings. its distance from other planets and the Earth, measured in Earth-semidiameters and miles, etc. 306 & following.

PRELUDE ON THE FIRMAMENT.

§. I. Concerning the number of fixed stars, and stars recently detected by means of the telescope. 333
§. II. Concerning the distance of the fixed stars from the Earth. 337