The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-01
BY HORSLEY BROS. & FIGUERS.
ton of intense heat. around the surface
of the plenet

1 ~~~~
of the planet.
Saturn presents a view to the teles
n cOpic observer more charming and i'm
pressive than that of Jupiter. His ring
system makes him the most interesting
of the planets, while his family of satei
lltes raises him to the dignity of a sun
His family of satellites is as large a,
the suns family of planets, and his rins
is now considered to be composed O
myriads of minute satellites circling il
INTERVIEWING orbits around their might,
| primary. The colors observed on SaturT
are as beautiful as those on the nearel
and larger planet, but his greater dis
tance makes them appear faint and
smooth instead of dark and rugged.
Saturn's ring is divided by a distance
OF two thousand miles, the inner por.
ton being wider and brighter. Several
other divisions also occur in the ring
system, one of them dividing the outer
ring near the middle. But these di-
visions are not black, neither is the
great dark division, for when the
shadow of the planet falls across it
there is marked contrast between the
intense blackness of the shadow and
the merely dark color of the division,
showing that something besides empty
space occupies the division between the
rings. Within the inner ring 'es the
dark or Grape ring. through which the
body of the planet can be seen present
ing the appearance of a Grape yelling,
but not hiding the view. This portion
of the ring-system is supposed to con-
sist also of minute satellites, more
widely separated than they are in the
bright rings, and it is between them
that we catch glimpses of the planet.
At ordinary times the only colors
recognized on Saturn ere the white of
the clOud-zOnes and the yellow of the
belts. But on nights of exceptionally
favorable conditions these pale colors
change into the most beautiful hues.
Mr.. Browning, the distinguished op-
tlcian, has produced a beautiful re-
presentation of it as he saw it on one of
the rare nights which reward the as
tronomer for months of patient waiting.
He has represented the color of the
rings by yellow ochre, shaded with the
same, and sepia; the globe, yellow
ochre and brown madder, orange, and
purple, shaded with sepia. The GREAT
division in the rings is sepia, anu the
pole and the narrow belts near it, pale
cobalt-blue. Mr.. Browning's pictul of
Saturn is the most beautiful one that
has ever been produced, but it gives no
adequate conception of the fascinating
planet for all terrestrial colors are
muddy and dingy when compared with
the tints that display the glory of the
Creator in the heavens, and show his
handiwork in the armament.
Rut tho p1Oct iDoY,orkoDf oo1o. c41J;o.
are those connected with the observa-
tions of the spectroscope. For these
bring comparative certainty to specula-
ton, and demonstrate the existence of
aqueous vapor and elementary suu-
stances, resembling or differing from
those OF the earth, on several of the
planets. As they shine by TIE reflected
light of the sun, their spectra are the
same as the solar spectrum, and what
ever differences are perceived must
arise from the changes that sunlighr
may undergo by reflection from thei-
surfaces, or by its passage through
their atmospheres.
The spectra of the planets Venus,
Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, exhibit the
Fraunhofer lines peculiar to the solor
light, and also what are called absorp-
ton lines. These are evidence of the
presence of an atmosphere containing
aqueous vapOr. The spectrum of Ju- |
piter is not sufficiently brilliant to allow
observations or measurements of ex-
IRENE accuracy; for, although this
planet shines SO brightly in the heavens,
its spectrum is fainter than that of
star of the second magnitude. Higgins
some dark lines in the red
portion of the pectrum, which were
not coincident with any of the lines of |
the solor spectrum, and one of these |
does not occur among the telluric or
absorption lines. If Jupiter is self |
luminous, these lines may be occasioned |
by elements not existing in the sun, or
which have not been revealed by any
effect of absorption.
Saturn gives still fainter spectrurAs
but shows some If the lines character ; !
tic of JRpiter's spectrum. These lin
are brighter in the ball than in the ring. |
proving that the ring suffers less alb
5orptiOn than the planet. Jannsen and |
Secchi have proved, Ny repeated obser-
vations t?keh on the high Mountains of |
Italy and Greece, that aqueous vapor is |
present in both Jupiter and |
Saturn. Lines have also been discov- |
cred in the spectrum of Saturn which |
do not correspond with telluric lines, or |
With the lines of the solar spectrum |
produced by the absorption of the
aarth's atmosphere. Therefore, the at
of Saturn may contain gases
Or vapors which do not exist in that of |
The earth.
Uranus gives a spectrum of a remar-
zable character. Secchi found it to
consist of two broad, black bands, one
n the greenis.l blue and one in the
green, while IN the space a little beyond,
over the yellow to the red,
;he spectrum entirely disappears. It is
such q spectrum as would be produced |
f all tie yellow rays were extinguished |
rom the light of the sun. Higgins,
With a more powerful spectroscope,
ound six dark bands, and strong proof |
If the existence of hydrogen.
Neptune gives a spectrum closely I
that of Uranus. Secchi fouru
hree principal bands, and the red por-
ion of the spectrum almost entirely
wanting. Indications of carbon have
been detected in this spectrum, and
llso a coincidence of the dark bands
With the bright bands of certain COM
It's. The outer planets, Neptune and
Uranus, seem to be in a still more I'M
developed condition than Saturn and
Jupiter, while none of them are at
present fitted to be the abode of living
organisms. It is much more probable
hat they resemble the sun in the chaotic
condition of their elements, and that
hey give out heat and some light to the
title worlds which revolve around them,
IS they in their turn revolve around the
un.
Thus, the varying color of the planets
makes them familiar as the faces of
friends; the telescope re-
-eals every imaginable tint and grada-
ion of color in bewitching beauty upon
heir surfaces and the spectroscope
nalyzes the changing hues, and brings
messages from the distant orbs, indica-
i've of their nature and constituents.
The science is only in its infancy. Its
aint developments are but the shadow
# the great discoveries which keener
ision, more powerful telescopes, and
nOre effective spectroscopes, will make
lain in the astronomy of the future.
IMPORTANCE OF READING. matter
,OTU OhSor1ra tho ,OOSikior IN 1;Fa Of o,