New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-12-03
JUPITER.

that position IN relation 70 the earth ana SUM- IN WHICH
presents its finest aspect to US. Being one of the
Superior planets which revolve in orbits exterior to
the earth il s of course nearer the earth in opposition
than in conjunction by the distance the earth's
orbit. viz two hundred millions of miles. Beside
this shines all night rising about sunset and botted
out by the dawn while yet several degrees from its
setting
jupiter now shines with a brightness mequaled
among the stars except by Venus when near her ine-
nor conjunction. This may be owing not merely to
the superior sze of his disc but also to the high re-
Rectng power of his surface. Had Mars this power in
an equal degree his uster would surpass that OF Jul
per threefod for while his disc is onefourth smaller
than Jupers he receives thirteen times more solar
light
The present position of the planet is in the eonstea-
ton Gemn or the Twins not far from the meridian Of
Srus the brightest Of the fixed stars and closely pre-
ceded by the finest constellation in all the heavens,
Orion; 40 that we have, and shall have throughout
the Winter in juxtaposition, the nightly company Of
this splendid gaaxyJupiter, in his brightest Sirius,
or the Greater Dog Capea, Castor and Pollux, Pro-
cyon or the Little Dog, Aldebaran, and the unrivaled
constellation of Orion with the planet Saturn not far
away.
Up to November 10, Jupiter had been progressing
for several months to the eastward, pushing his way
slowly among the stars in his long journey round the
sun. But at that epoch, his advance was stayed; he
remained stationary for days and then began to
retrace his steps This course of retrogressiOn he
tinues annually during about four months losing in that
time about ten degrees Of arc when he stops again.
and after little forward on journey as before,
gradually accelerating his pace up TO certain point
as If 10 make up for lost time, and accomplishing n
the course Of the round year about thirty degrees OF
arc, Dr. the space of sign.
In order 10 have clear understanding of these phe
uomena and the cause of them consider the sum- earth,
and planet projected on plain, and lying in right
line with each other, the earth in the middle. Now
suppose the two revolving bodies TO begin their career
at the same moment and TO 60 on in the same plane
round the sun with their appointed veOcities. The
earth will oustrp Jupiter at once and get back to the
sartino-point while the latter is accomplishing one
twelfth of his orbit. Now consider what apparent
movements Jupiter will exhibit to an observer sta
toned upon the earth. At starting, he is seen in oppo
ston l. G. referred TO place against the sky, lSO'
removed from the apparent place of the sun among the
STARS. In a month, the earth will have made one
twelfth of its orbit thirty degrees of arc while the
more sluggish planet will only have moved over an
arc of less than three degrees-as the earth has
moved TO the eastward the observer will no
longer see Jupiter directly in opposition to the
sun. but in a place against the sky, e., among
the stars, further to the westward. He will ap-
near 10 have retrograded-and this REORGANIZATION
will continue until the curyinear path Of the earth
turns il into a direction approaching what may be con-
sidered perpendicular TO the path of Jupiter, which
will take place about two months after opposition
The planet will now appear to stand still among the
stars until the earth having passed its greatest casting
bends back toward its Wrestling, speak, and moves
flof Of 10 pf-
feet of this 70 the observer to throw the planet con-
tnualy forward among the stars in the direction Of
his going further than is due to his proper advance in
his orbit and as all this Tegularity of movement is
simply optical owing the Observers change OF place
the amount of apparent aoceleaton Will of course be
precisely equal to the amount of apparent retsrdaton;
30 that at the epoch of next opposition the planet will
occupy point n4he heavens thirty degrees fur
ther 10 the eastward than year previous, an effect
due 10 It's advance in its orbit The departure of the
psnets orbit from the plane of the eciptic slight
as not in the least effect the correctness of this es
mate.
With the Sun in the First Point of Cspricom-the
Winter solstoe-Jupter, in opposition, Will be- OF
course not far from the First of Cancer thus attaining
nj midnight meridian altitude very nearly great as
the sun reaches AT midsummer and remaining above
the horizon in this latitude fifteen hours out Of the
wentyfour. lie will be on the meridian at midnight
on the 18th Of January.
The vastness Of the orbit which this planet describes
is altogether beyond power to conceive, when es
mated in terms Of units Of measure with which we are
familiar in the daily uses Of hie 1t is one thing to
set down in row a number Of figures representing
the length Of the path which the Creator has assigned
TO him TO rum but Is quite different thing TO reduce
the terms 70 oar common coRcePtions-S,O tO 900
uuits-each unit a mile one could count about as
many as this array of figures represents by counting
four hours day At the top of speed, for MY years
Yet in lese than twelve years this mighty orb travels
the distance going thirty thousand miles while rail-
road express train is going thirty.
But the path of Jupiter is not the only stupenaouS
magnitude in connection with il. It's volume and dur
nal velocity are equally wonderful. Fourteen hun
dred Earths melted together would form ius about one
Jupiter in size though one-iour1h many would SUI
fee TO balance it in the scales. While the average
diameter Of the earth little short of eight thousand
mes that of Jupiter is nearly ninety thousand There
is found ct his equator remarkable prOtuberant mass,
corresponding exactly 10 what exists at the earths
equator when the two considered with reference
to their relative denSties and veoeee. This Unequal