Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-10-23
DI.covcrIe. In America.

Among the great achievements Of American
astronomers is the discovery Of 4 new ring, the
composition the same AS that Of the other
| rings, and n new satellite in the Saturaian sys.
tenn. may be considered the most remarkable,
since that planet had for more than two centu.
ries been the object Of the greatest intcrestand
most perseycrins scrutiny among the European
astronomers. Professor Lowering, OF Harvard
University, in his lectures before the Lowell
Institute, tells the story OF these great optical
and theoretical discoveries in a tew words:
Between 1871 and 1870 the rings OF Saturn
were a subject of special consideration with the
astronomers Of the Cambridge O5scrvat"ry.-
| On the night of the llth OF November. ls3u,
Mr.. G.. p. Bond noticed the filling np OF 4 Eight
inside Of the inner edge OF the innr: rI'G' ana
above and below the ring a dark band when
he thought was the shadow OF the r'n%. ii!r-
Their observation by himself ard Mr.. [. ~.
futile led To the suggestion oi 4 tht"fy ~ Tie
latter that these phenomena were oWinS' u thr
existence Of an interior dlSEv rim. a"d thai
theory was confirmed by Subsequent "nScr"a-
ton. This rim: occupies abo"t o~Gatii:ti u!
distance between the planet and the :ing ar
mcrly considered the interior.
'Ihc most remarkable feature IT t!l> >iHSiI-
lar discovery IS, that this ncw rang Is sent
transparent. through which the limb %! the pa
net may been seen w2 10 the cige OF the ln;r-
riOr bright rIng.
ut has been Il questions .; what these rings
have been CONFUSED. and low ;:,cy a'e &us'
tanned. Formerly il was believed that thrT
were 4 solid mass, bet in 1871 Sr. Bond ad-
vancc,l the theory, which he sustained tr ann
lytical considerations that they were composed
Of u liquid substance. This hypothesis a.
plains the different forms of The rinES NJ G;i!cr-
cnt times, and is strengthened By tie ih:":cii-
cal demonstrations Of Prot. Pierce, that III"
rings cannot be solid.
Saturn has eight moons. which were "!sco"-
cred during Z period extending cvcr nearly w"
hundred years. ilnyshcaS discovered the tir*t
one, and Ilcrschcl the seventh. The cI.ht.:
was discovered by Mr.. Bono, on the l"lG! 81
September, lSIe-a day memorable III our
annals rs being that on which the first pih"ci'''
discovery MAS made IN the New N"ri!-
Each moon is designated hr Greciaa %Ia,yinn-
logical names. 4 nomenclature suggested by
the Younger lIcrsc!cl. Ia Accordance with
this, Mr.. Bond named Ike new satellite 'll..-
perion.' .
The list of optical discoveries III celestial
space might easily bc extended; bat t!ii> Sliiic"S
TO show that on one single planet. and that an
old one, BY far the most Interesting discoveries
have been made in America since The invention
of the telescope. The aStcIoii discoveries .;
Searlc and Ferguson show orr ability to coin
pete with the Europeans in that department OF
although il has never been made u
speciality here rs abroad. In the interesting
laborious department o: Comc!".raphy,
the Cambridge astronomers have ~rivallcd them
for II great while. The RESEARCHES Of Pierce,
Bond and Stafford, in theoretical astronomy, are
Of the highest order, and prove us worthy DE-.
.ccndants Of the country!nrn of Newto" -
.EtnburypO,t N6raM.