Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-09-01
NUMBER 10.

and stations have been chosen for observation.
Next year some Of the parties will be obliged to
start for the iahOspiisble regions near the artic
and antarctic circles. where the work must be
done. The last transit took place in 1863, and
since then great Improvements have been msde
in science, which will all be brought to bear
upon one of the crest problems to be solved, that
ef the SUMS distance, in which an error Of .OOO
600 is to be detected.
The red plane; Mars is now conspicuous OBJ
Ject in the southeast in the early evening
though by no means so brilliant as during its
| opposition few months since. The planet may
be traced in the constellation Virgo, not very far
| from i;s principal star Spica, with whose deli
cate hue the ruddy planet forms pleasing con-
trsst. 1t can be easily recognized for no other
star but the " lone " Spica is found in the yci-
nifty. Mars is sn exceedingly interesting teles-
copic object, and proftably seen, for Venus de
fes the telescope with its brightness, and the
other planets are too far off. Everything found
on the earth has been discovered on this planet
but the existence of life. Esgle-eyed astrono-
mers have mspped out its surface. watched its
snowy poles, noted the green Of its waters, de-
tectei the rudy color Of its soil, admired its
morning and evening twilight hues, and marked
the passage Of furious storms and mOistuIe-aden
clouds over It's surface. Spectroscopic Observers
have tested the constituents Of its msss, and
found metals, earths, vapors, and an atmosphere
corresponding to our own.
The planet Saturn rises later IN the evening
and is nov found in the constellation Sagit-
tarius. and very near the milky way, on which
the archer rests bis bended bow Its ruidy
light and soft glow mske It easily disceraible
among the stars. Il is specially interesting
now as a telescope object, for its rings are
turned towards US, and surround the planet, or.
rather, cradle it in their soft light as they will
not do again 10 our eyes for fifteen years.
These beautiful rings are objects Of intense
study TO star -gazers, who wait patiently TO dis-
Germ if they are really made up Of myriad
minute satellites or mete0rs. bound together BY
incompreheusible forces, and while circing in
triple bands around the huge planet, permitting
gmpses Of its surface 10 be seen between the
tiny interstices. The new theory ;ha, Saturn is
a sun to his eight satellites, and TO the myriad
moons which form his rings, is gaining ground
smong modern theories
Mercury is the only other planet which VIII
shed 2 preceptible light upon the August sky,
and this will be only for few evenings. He
reaches his greatest eastern elongation On the
2O.h Of this month, and then, and for few
days before ard after, the careful watcher may
track his course ard pick him up ABOUT an hour
after sunset, close behind the sun, and half con-
cesled beneath his twilight beams The sight is
vel worth the trouble, for no star compares in
bulliancy with this sEiftest member Of the
solar brotherhood. Jupiter Is now sole plan
etary monarch Of The dawning day, and those
who rise before the dawn can easily track his
path as the bright morning star Hlrff0ri
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