Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-05-14
ARTICLES on ASTRONOMY
M. -,s.-PIannefoids.

hepler, nearly Inree nundred years
age, ,swrete Inter ,MarteR- ct J Joyem
interposdi planetatein.." q HIS lbiog-
rapher says "the theory was so un-
popular among the scientific men Of
his time that he renounced the opin-
ion, !" and 1eft tifs pEacebssween Mars
and Jupitertwithout a planet. This
wide interval, however, spoiled the
beauty of BODIES law, "that each
planet was so placed that if to the Sc
,ries 0, 8, 6, 10, q, Is, &c, 1 be added
to each term. making the sum 4, Z,
10, I6, Is, 30, &c, these sums would
represent the planetary distances
from the sun commencing with AIer-,
curry. 2s had to'be left bia1k. 50 and
100 were right, to represent Jupiter
and, Saturn, and Uranus fitted 196.
too well to call the place of the new
conner accidental. - a -,
One hundred and seventy two years
after the death of Kepler, Piazzi, of
Italy, discovered CERES, Jan. l, 1901,
in the blank between Mars and Jupi-
ter. PallasI Juno and Vesta were
soon discovered in the same belt, and
with an average distance of about
80, ,O0e, 900 miles from thessun. The
theory ofDr. Olbers, that these four
small bodies were fragments of a.
large planet, broken up by some in
ternal force, and so thrown into dis
tinct orbits. was long the favorite
opinion of astronomers Speculations
upon the magnitude, true place, and
motion of the original planet, occur
pied the thought and brought out
wise discussions in learned circles,
Until 1915, when Heneke, a German
astronomer, discovered q fifth, and
soon after q sixth member of this new
family. Up to March 18th, 1878,
there has been discovered l30 of these
minor planets, whose estimated diam
eters vary from soto 1 200 miles,, Oh.
servers differ widely as to their size, |
some giving 10 the largest a diameter |
of $40, others 2, ,025 miles, or nearly as /
large as our moon. a3ll5C ....-...--...--- 3
2 The wide range of Notwithstanding |
over belt of IS ,oo0, 600 miles, and the /
great departures some of these bodies
larger planets, has led to the opinion |
that they are not the fragments Of a |
disrupted planet. They shaw through 4
the telescope some very Femafkablef Z
features: Ceres is surrounded by al.
atmosphere thirteen times the height
of ours and far more dense. Vestais
sometimes so brilliant as to be visible
to the naked eye, while others OF /
equal or even larger size, are so dim !
as to be found With difficulty, though /
aided by the best glasses. n.
Flora Ievolves around the sun in ]
81 years, while Maximiliana requires
years TO complete revolution.
The purpose Served By these bodies
in the solar system has. been the
theme OF many singular. speculatiols.
One sees in them the fragments of
sphere, and the source of
those fiery meteors which sometimes
blaze through our atmosphere, or9falli
to the earth. Another sees
ia them proof positive of the n.sRebu
lar hypothesis and the formation !
fDoa a once broad fing)of Incolleetedi
matter, of thousands of solid spheres,
many of them too small for our vision
when best assisted. The human Inn
aginatiOR may easily people Venus
and Mars with beingslike ourselves \
may give the broad continents and
majestic mountains of Jupiter a race
Of giants, and 10 Saturn, with -lumin-
ous rings and double quartette Of
shining lunas, the home Of seraphs
but-Vho shall people these little isiets
in the upper deep ?n But see how
the all wise Creator adjusts the bal-
ances of the spheres with these He
moves. them ia orbits more or less ee5
with iucIinations carrying
them near the eeiiptic plane, or send
ing them far outside of the zodiacal
belt revolving with velooities 50
varied as to leave no two so long in
however near ss to haz-
ard collision, and yet giving them
he freedom Of motion accorded to the
most important planets. Long before
heir discovery wise caBd good men
said, '4tne ffrmanentA showeth His
handy Vork, )" and ''by His spirit, He
hath garnished the heavens. - As
we listen TO "the music of the 81 PheresP
n these later days, shall the melody I
be less attractive as We discover the
smaller instruments playing so well 4
heir parts in the grand harmony Of
AUegheny C0acge, May. 1879. in.