The Hawaiian gazette., 1872-08-07
Jupiter a Miniature sun.

Now. heat Is the only form Of force which
could account for the formation Of the enormous
masses Of cloud suspended in the atmosphere Of
jupiter. And it seems difficult to conceive that
the clouds could be maintained at great height
above the real surface Of the planet unless that
surface were intensely hot-as hot perhaps az
rei-hot iron. If we suppose this to be the case,
We would find at once an explanation of the
ruIdv aspect Of the dark belts. Nor would the
change OF the great equatorial belt from white to
red imply more than that, owing to some IN
known cause. clouds had not formed during the
last two years over the planets equatorial zone,
or. having formed, had been dispersed in some
way We need not even imagine complete
dispersion since the best telescopes, and notably
Mr.. Buckinghams fine twenty-oneInch refractor
have shown always a multitude Of minute cloud
Ike objects over the rudy equatorial zone.
Bat the idea Of red-hot planet, or Of planet
partially red-hot, will appear at drst view too
bizarre to be entertained even for a moment.
We have been go accustomed to regard Jupiter
and saturn as other worlds. that the mind is dis
u5sei TO reject the conception that they can be
So intensely heated as to be utterly unSt to be
the abode Of living creatures.
This uuwillingness to acceptstartling ideas is
not to be altogether reprehended, since it pre-
vents the mind from forming rash aud baseless
s1eculatious. Yet we must not suffer this
mental habItude, excellent though it may be
10 its proper place to interfere with the ad-
mission Of conclusions which seem based on
trustworthy evidence Let US then inquire
whether the startling hypothesis to which we
have been led by the study of observed facts
may not be found to be in agreement with other
iacts not yet considered.
Ii will be obvious that If the real globe Of Ju-
piter is thus intensely heated, portion Of the
planets light must be inherent. Therefore, We
might expect that the planet would shine some
what mere brightly than globe Of equal size
and similarly placed, shining merely by rejecting
the suns light. Now two series Of good obserya-
lions have been made upon the luminosity Of
Jupiter, cue by the late Professor Bond, Of
America, and the other by Dr.ZoIner, Of Ger
many According to the former, Jupiter shines
more brightly than be would if he reflected
the whole Of the light falling upon him Ac-
cording to the latter, and more trustworthy
series. Jupiter does not indeed shine quite so
brightly as Professor Bond supposed, but the
planet yet shines three times as brightly as
globe Of equal size would shine, if similarly
placed but constituted like Mars, and four times
as brightly as such globe would shine if con-
stituted ike our moon Jupiter shines, in fact
very nearly as brightly as though be we're con
stituted ike one Of our terrestrial clouds
This result is highly significant. If Jupiter
showed 10 belts aud shoue with pure white
color, we could explain It at once by simply re-
earling the planet as wholly cloud-covered or
snow-coyersd-for snow and cloud shine with
nearly equal lustre when similarly illuminated.
But .he great dark belts which occupy so large
proportion Of the planets disc, altogether mega
tive this suppositiou. We seem compelled to
believe that some considerable portion Of the
planets lustre is inherent
And. after all, let US remember that the theory
that Jupiter is an intensely heated globe-a the
ory TO which We have been led by the consldera-
ton Of many observed facts, and which in its
turn suggests very satisfactory explanations Of
other observed hcts-would merely show that,
as Jupiter and Saturn hold an intermediate posi-
ton between the sun and the minor planets in
respect Of size. so those giant orbs hold a cor
responding position in respect of inherent heat.
Roughly speaking the earth is 5000 miles, the .
sun $4,000 miles 10 diameter, and Jupiter, with /
his diameter Of $1,000 miles, comes midway be
tween those orbs. Now, the sun is at a white .
heat. aud the earth gives out only what is called
obscure heat aud if Jupter's globe is at red
heat he again comes midway between the sun
and the earth
We should be led by the theory here main
tanned to regard the major planets which travel .
outside the zone Of asteroids as, in a secondary
sense. suns. SO viewed, they could not be re-
garded as orbs fit for the support Of living crea-
lures. Yet, as each Of them is centre Of a
scheme of dependent worlds, Of dimensions large
enough to supply room for many millions Of living
creatures, we should not merely find o raiS0n
a stre Cor the outer planets, but We should be far
better able TO explain their purpose in the scheme
OF creation than on any theory hitherto put Tor
ward respecting them. Jupiter, an abode of
life, is a source Of wonder and perplexity, and
lis satellites seem scarcely to serve any useful
purpose. lie appears as bleak and desolate
dwelling place, and they together supply him
with scarce a twentieth part OF the light which
we receive from our moon at full. But regarding
Jupiter as miniature sun, not indeed possessing
any large degree OF inherent lustre, but emitting
a considerable quantity Of heat, We recognize in
him the fitting ruler Of a scheme Of subordinate
orbs, whose inhabitants would require the heat
which he affords, to exc cut the small supply
which they receive directly from the subtle
CJraIW Magazine.
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