Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1843-09-23
CELESTIAL PHENOMENA.
Correspondence. Translated Of the ~ " French Courier

FAILs % NI,n,E,, Aug. -. Isti.
SiR-l.et me for moment draw the attention OF your
readers from TINS world OF umu and noise elevate he
not with for my feeble wings could not sustain them
so hgh but with the genius OF sound philosophy towards
those regions full OF harmony of silence and Of poetry
IN which Is a this very developed with much
nngniieence OF the beautiful and rich
which the armament the eyes of the rel
gons observer OF the great beauties of nature and which
the planetary revolutions allow only in-
tefNa measured by ages. On serene cuudless night,
the starry heavens offer to this less than
Tour OF the chief planets OF the solar SYSTEM and Of
asteroids or telescope planets moving maescaly
their sublime silence the side the heavens and
almost concentrated in the five continuous zodiaea
steaion Scorpio, Sagarius, Capricorn, Aquarus and
Pisces These planets Mars Juno Jupiter Saturn and
Uranus, which, with their IL satellites will present To ms
during the whole of the ensuing month and follow
ing the rare and magnificent spectacle of "a worlds
planetary orbs IN full view OF the earth the side of
the heavens; without counting Moon which becoming
now more and more brilliant is gradually rising their
midst, as 1t we've dispute the empire OF the heavens by
ecpsng their bright light To persons little versed in the
practical study OF the heavens the indications about
will be sufficient place them in the way for the in
teresting wonders.
As the shall have disappeared beneath the
HORIZON turn yourself towards the south and behold the
heavens IN front of yOu little right at height form
ing an angle ut your of about 30 degrees
Zon on will perceive already distinct upon the sombre
blue OF the -ky magnificent celestial luminary of
what reddish This luminary the planet Mars or
that which Immediately succeeds the earth the order of
planetary positions, at the distance of 55S6, $3.50
the 9th OF last June, the earth directly between Ihe
Snn and Mars at the distance of only 40 millions OF miles
from Mars At that period he presented his
full orb and from the Sd May the 18th July, offered
the curious phenomenon Of retrogr1dlon station &c.
phenomena whose description would be supererOgatory
since they longer observable. Soon twilight shall
have ceased gid the the will almost all have pier
eed the sombre obscury OF the heavens and will shin
ing atsome distance the right OF Mars which will
be rejecting fine deep red magnificent fixed OF the
hFSt magnitude which You will easily distinguish from
Of is
iRt1reS the heart OF Scorpion, OF the beautiful
OF the zodacal considerations. In tracing curved line
i5om this the left by simple circular movement
the and making pass lille beneath Mars, your hand
will be arrested at the upon second luminary
brightness much superior his and to which under the
whole vault OF the heavens only be compared that of
Venus, when the morning Luciier the
ming star the shepherds, she shines quadraturc in
the former the night Of the rising, and in the latter
at the left the setting ecpsng by her spendor then
without an equal, the which may be scntlla,ing
her neighbOTiIoCd This second luminary the planet
Jupiter the largest OF the planetary Orbs, situated the
mean distance oil IcI ,6Ol, 900 miles the Sun The
beautiful OF the first magnitude which shining beneath
him IS that called FoNALHAUT, OF the constellation Pisces
Au-iralis
Returning from Jupiter to Mars by the same circular
movement of the stop your hand about midway the
curve between these two planets you will there perceive
third uminary OF size intermediate between those OF
Mans and the Aniaes, but rejecting light approach
to call IT, and you will have in your eye the planet Saturn
the most majestic orb without in the heavens and
Z
ntiny OF creation. Its distance from the Sun Is
about e9i ,06i 600 miles.
1t IS in the neghborhood Saturn that the asteroid
Juno mpSrceptbe the naked eye and which we only
here recall IL 10 memory may be found
As the distance, almost inaccessible the human mind
which separates Uranus from the SUM- prevents seeing
II with the naked eye, though il less than II times
larger than globe will suffice reader to know
that 1t may for the present be found in the constellation
Pisces almost Immediately below the beautiful OF
the first magnitude AseEbe OF the northern constellation
PeEaSus at the
Iy from Jupiter Mars Is from Anares His sidereal
year OF - OF ours and his distance from the Sun about
l,IS1 963OOO miles; his distance globe con-
sequenuy l7Oi, l36222 miles. steamboat constantly
travelling the 90 miles hour would require 10
accomplish tins enormous distance less than $3.50 years
months, Is days, 20 hours minutes, seconds ieccs
and tenths
At abou, O'Clock in the evening Saturn will be found
almost in front OF the observer facing south) jupiter
at the left shining with brilliant light Mars at the right
Uranus between Jupiter and the horizon and the beau
uiu consultations of the heavens will display Intensely
IN all before and behind the right and at his
niih where will be Likewise extended the galaxy between
Saturn and Mars, AMI from the southern horizon the
northern.
Continuing these observations for many consecutive even
ing from the y o'clock 10 midnight only IT he can afford
10 II no longer ume, he will observe Mars presenting those
characteristic phcnomen which afford so many anaories
with certain physical pecuiartes own globe such
as white appearances the poles produced by SHOWS sue
cessvely accumulated during winter long as twelve of
our months together the parts OF slightly ereenish TINT
representing 10 towards the temperate attitudes the
which lave their surface the attenn O its poles the
swelling OF its equator, &c. In the changes making from
time 10 time IN the tns OF s surface he would be OWNING
whether they be the fountain of Its polar SHOWS or move
ments OF the thick clouds which be floating there Us
here below, III atmosphere agated by the blasts of
the tempest now by the more calm breath OF the breeze
In the red colour which the setting presents at the clos
ing ct cOudtss day, he would see that this atmoDbere
much more extensive than ours also Of greater density
and that the red colour notwithstanding HerSche's opin
ion not due 10 the pretended ochrous soil of Mars but
solely the density of his immense atmosphere In fine
by the inclination OF his axis Gls 49, lO that of the
edfth being bh- - ~ by the his Sidsreal
movement, which is but L. miles second Chat Of the
earth 10 miles, by hs diurnal revolution which takes
2ih. 59m 53 that OF the earth being 23h SOM ls and
by the many other no less characteristic features the ob.
would Sec that Venus has been called by poctc
astronomers the sister Of the carh Mars will possess every
preenson from his numbcress unaogcs with our globe To
bc called the brother OF the earth But by means of the
micrJmccr the observer would assure himself that the mean
diameter Of the planet compared that OF the earth is as
81 To 100, or but little more than s half which will give
circumference Of about l3.3S9mcs and mass of 20 the
earth being LOO that Is oue.ith and square surface Of
5916Dl62 miles which peop.cd az the rate of England
-. 10 the square mile will offer space enough for 1851
233sO individuals, about , times the actual
q our globe, estimating 1t alta milliard or near.
Leaving NIars for Jupiter the observer will b,v, s, dis
covccdtc iourmagniiccnt satellites which circulate around
this majestic planet with unequal yeocics and az distances
which cofr1borue in wonderful manner tho ir,rn,rt,
discovery OF kcpe the distances and movement. Of thu
planetary bodies in respect TO the sun. lie will see with
the greatest interest the frequent ccpscs OF these sItc-
H''S upon We luminous body OF the planet Tie
would observe that they represent together a mass
thirteen times greater than that OF the Moon aud that the
fourth one OF them alone times larger than our
satellite and consequently, important IN respect Of SIC
the planet Ma, and much larger than Mercury or the
four telescope planets, Nosts Juno, Ceres and Pias
whose smircss is such, that their dimensions have NOT
been yet ascerdncd with the most powerful tclcs
c1pcs. lie would Jupiter considerably faucncd al his
poles and bullying al his equator, presenting parallel bands
to that equator far bis poles ct form always ~ Ell
defined, but OF nature yet doubtful To astronomers lie
would perceive from the almost perpendicular direction Of
his to the Ccpuc that in his course around the sun