JUNO

The Latin name of the divinity called by the Greeks Hera ("tipn). She was the sister and consort of Jupiter, and was held to preside over marriage, and protect married women. She was represented as the model of majestic beauty, in royal attire, and attended by her favourite bird the peacock. Her principal temples in Greece were at Samos and Argos. She was also the patrone of Veii, whence she was invited to Rome on the occasion of the last siege of the former city. Ju'no. One of the four small extra-zodiacal planets which circulate between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Juno was discovered by Profe or Harding of Lilienthal (near Bremen), on the 22d of September, 1804; Ceres and Pallas having been discovered previously. Juno appears like a star of the eighth or ninth magnitude, and is of a whitish colour, without nebulosity. This planet is distinguished by the great eccentricity of its orbit, exceeding that of any other planet, and amounting to -2578, the semi-axis major being taken as unit. The effect of this eccentricity on the motion of the planet is such, that the half of the orbit which is bisected by the perihelion is described in about half the time in which the other half is described. The sidereal revolution is performed in 159266 mean solar days. The inclination of the orbit to the ecliptic is 13° 4' 10"; and the greatest equation of the centre 29° 46' 19". The extreme smallne of the planet renders it impo ible to determine its apparent diameter, and consequently its magnitude, with any degree of certainty. [s. 640]