New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-03-11
NIGHT NOTES.
BEHIND THE VAIL.

hlOW tDdt inc ttlttCOpt TtNtdb III
uent which the unassiSed eye see; very few,
owever, have just of the magnitude and pen
or Of ,hefe Ievelat onr. For example Yonder, You
is bright star. Now put your eye To the glass,
aud tell me what is upfoded.
Rcporter-A body like the full moon.
hstrOncmcy-And bright points oflight nearit7
Re50rtr-Yes; four little stars close by its slde, and
all ina
As, onomer-The round body is the planet Jupiter
lobe appearing TO be in every respect like that we
uhabit except that it is vastly greater and the little
stare are moons belonging to the planet.
THE Astronomer bereupon removed the eyepiece Of
he telescope replacing it with another. Having al
usteG it TO his vision, he babe inc look again.
Relorter--I see now little round body, about as
large as a new cent.
Astropo,Dc,-At another time it might appear to you
AZ large as saucer. That's Of the minute points Of
ght YOU saw before close by the side of the moonke
tOdy Under increased magnify ing power, you observe
il increases in SIZE This is not the with the fixed
starr Though their bIilliancy is aug nented by this
neans, vet we canLot by any optical device raise a
oisc uron tbenrtbat is TO say, cause them to appear
with a measurable form having steady, well-delined
outline They continue under the highest lenses mere
ponts of light blazing it is true sometimes, with
gods. The three other moons belonging to this
Titan Of the plants are like thls, and the dura-
ton Of the month by each of tbem-that is to
say. their several periods of revolution-are pre-
cieely known. Thus we are able to construct
Jupiters uranography, or the phenomena which
occur in the sky above him, about as well aud
easily ss the Jovians themselves We can predict
Will terect accuracy the times of sunrise and sunset
- Il tstns, Of
of each of his moons and the periods of their phases
We Con calculate the eclpSes, which, happening al
uoet daily add wonderful vivacity to the celestial
scenery which the Jovan enjoys. We know the
couse of bis seasons and the wondrous track of the
euD Il rout h bis armament.
ReJortr-Wbat elevang studies
Astronomer-We assign the epochs OF conJnnc-
lion and opposition of the planets including the earth,
which being TO Jupiter an inferior planet that Is 70
ray, moving in an within bis own, appears only as
a nonng and an evening star
Rclortor-Mercui ana Venus also appear to him as
morning and evening stars hen, do they not, Sir
Astronome,-And Mars also. But they must all be
teescorc oil, cts only. Owing to their small size and
great distance alone they would appear minute OBJ
ecrs 10 unaided powers Of vsion greater than our
own Besides their orbits lying far within Jupiters
So that at sunrise or they involved in the
twilight and thus are ost view. In the o the
emtl-it car never appear, when the sun IL away,
more than Twelve degrees 70 above the no ion,
which less than af the elevation at which Mercury
spl ears TO us in biz greatest elongalion.
Hepo,ter--The final disappearance Of Venus ami
Mas from our armament would be "A great lOss.
AstrOno rae,-It would be in irrepartbe calamity.
Venus BY her periodic return u the morning AMI even
ing sky shining weeks together with Incompatible
un, xrngushed ny the gris sun through
~ tie livelorg day, performs an Infinite service to the
lun an race 10y arIesIng the attention OF the poldinS
ea,thfng, OF euing to him glimpse, momentty
tIon, it be- OF the glory OF nature above him. OF the
submity OF her conrtes and Uf the p.riness 81 hs
own concerns III comparison with what engages the
l,ditsT mil C. AID might engage Ills own But Jupi-
ter In hir four lovely moous than compensated
for the loss OF three little planets beautiful though they
| be. Besicee TO the Jovlan Oh erver. Uranus-to US
relcscol c lsc DOL Us visible without optical aid,
snd Saturn is to him nearly brilliant Jupiter is 10
u.s. Tie rings and retinue Of satellites which attend
" on Saturn present at this point of view
q ,Iectlce OF greatly increased magridcen'e.
The aslr while speaking had turned the great
equatorial in tie direction of another object, and now
gGzed few moments in silence.
II trOHOEff-W OIdeiiul! wonderful! LOOK now,
Sir, and tell ne what You zee.
Rclo,te,-A round mconiss body again; not 80
lsce as Jupiter how ever with ii curious blade Of light,
locking as If II Tan through il and stuck out euer
SIDE.
IsiroHomeyT at is Saturn, and the blade is his sys-
1, m Of r r. DO You rec an, luminous saI-ke points
in Il dire criOn Of ths blade of ligbt7
RT0t,-Yes, two OF three very minute but not
in a straight lire wi tue direction Of 1t.
AarOaoHer-Tley are moons. Under sufficiently
high magnify ing power they would expand into cent
like ciles as YOU described the satellite Of Jupiter.
Saturn is attended by eight such-a prncely train.
ReDoItey-What leads yOu to suppose, Sir, that that
blade like appearance is system OF rings
AsftoAomer-I 1t il to be such at other epochs Of
Sanns year. Ia Lis present post,n in relation 10 the
cuth We can only look along the plane Of the ring,
ard we see il foreshortened into IL strip If we
cOud view it from position perpendicular above the
plane Of the ling it would appear circular belt Of
silver light surrounding the planet, having everywhere
breadth of nearly onc-half that of the planet; aud
viewed from Il purace Of Saturn itself there would b3
unfodtd a celestial spectacle grander than any being
Torn of woman has ever beheld. At point half way
between the equator and the POLE in a certain
Of the planets year broad bow arch Of light would
be seen II night resting low down the horizon and
having il every part brightness approaching that of
our moon. On the observers moving toward tho
EQUATOR the arch would rise broadening at the base
until near the equator il would completely span the
celestial vault ON east TO west. In low ATTITUDES the
moons would always appear the arch as projected
AGAINST rhe sky, skimlning along the ARMAMENT some
crescent some Ribbous eoue fula be dutfH retinue;