Chapter II: Part II: Extent of the Zone 37

THEORY OF OLBERS 38

SMALL MASS OF THE ASTEROIDS 38

LIMITS OF PERIHELION DISTANCE 39

DISTRIBUTION OF THE ASTEROIDS IN SPACE 40

LAW OF GAP FORMATION 42

COMMENSURABILITY OF PERIODS WITH THAT OF JUPITER 43

ORDERS OF COMMENSURABILITY 44

ELIMINATION OF VERY ECCENTRIC ORBITS 46

RELATIONS BETWEEN CERTAIN ADJACENT ORBITS 47

THE ECCENTRICITIES 48

THE INCLINATIONS 49

LONGITUDES OF THE PERIHELIA AND OF THE ASCENDING NODES 50

THE PERIODS 51

ORIGIN OF THE ASTEROIDS 52

VARIABILITY OF CERTAIN ASTEROIDS 53

THE AVERAGE ASTEROID ORBIT 54

THE RELATION OF SHORT-PERIOD COMETS TO THE ZONE OF ASTEROIDS 55

APPENDIX 59