Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-10-20
Tho Planet Venus.

Onc word on the celestial scenery
visible from Venus. 1t is circum-
stance worth noticing that, from all
the three planets which have no
moons, at least one orb can be so
seen as to appear more beautiful
than any star or planet in our own
skies. Jupiter as seen from Mars
must appear a most noble orb, since
his splendor, owing to the greater
proximity of Mars (when most
favorably situated for observing
Jupiter), must be onc-half greater
than that which he displays to our.
selves. His satellites, too, may
probably be visible from Mars. III
the planet Venus, again, Mercury
has a noble spectacle. Her lustrc,
indeed, when seen under the most
favorable circumstances, must illu-
inmate the skies Of Mercury with a
splendor surprising ten or twelve
times that Of the planet Jupiter as
we see him on 4 midnight sky.
From Mercury, also, the Earth must
seem noble orb, her attendant
moon being distinctly visible.
Venus has not, like Mercury, a view
OF two planets surprising Jupiter
in splendor. But, on the other
hand, the Earth as seen from Venus
must be the most beautiful specta-
Gle visible throughout the whole
range Of the solar system. To
vision such as ours, the Earth must
present the figure of a disc, because
we know that under favorable cir
cumstances we can ourselves rccog-
nize the crescent form Of Venus
with the unaided eye. This disc
cannot fail to exhibit varying
colors; now appearing grecnish,
now reddish, according as the ter
restrial seas or oceans are more
fully turned toward Venus; while
at times, when the atmosphere Of
our earth is heavily laden with
vapors, the glory of the earth as a
light in the skies of Venus must be
greatly enhanced, the earth's lustre
being at sach times, however, pure
ly white. In the meantime the
moon must be distinctly visible as
disc about one-tourth as large as
the earth's diameter, and not chang
ing in color as hers does, unless,
indeed, it chances that the side Of
the moon we do not see differs very
much in character from the portion
we are able to study. The seeming
distance separating the moon from
the earth when they are farthcst
apart will be somewhat greater than
the seeming diameter Of the moon
as we see her. 1t need hardly be
said that the light actual y received
from the earth and moon under
these circumstances must be very
much greater than that which we
receive either from Jupiter or Venus
when at their brightest. We know
that Mars, when seen under most
favorable circumstances (once in
about 4 century,, is fairly compara-
bic with Jupiter; but at such time
Mars is half as far again from us
as We. are from Venus; he would
show disc much less than half the
Earth's if both were seen at the
same distance; and he is Illuminated
less than onehalf as brightly, owing
to greater distance from the sun.
On all these accounts, the Earth
must shine many times more splen-
didly than Mars does, even Oh those
exceptional occasions when las once
during the last century, his ruddy
orb was taken for new star. When
it is remembered, too, that Venus
is seen more brightly when by no
means at her nearest, and when
showing less than a half disc,
whereas tie Earth is seen most
favorably from Venus when at her
nearest, and showing full disc, it
will he seen that the greater intrin-
sic lustre Of Venus is much more
than counterbalanced, and that the
Earth with her companion moon,
as seen from the planet Venus,
must form far more glorious spec
tacle (besides appearing on a far
darker sky), than the Planet of Love
when most she solicitS our admira-
tion.-Richard Il. Proctor, IN the
Eclectic Nogozi,te.