Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-11-27

| the minor planets, for compared with the
outer planets they were very minute. Inc
| four planets could be easily placed in the
smallest of the outer. In beginning the
study of the planets he wished to impress
| II upon his hearers that we must expect
to find these two groups unlike in most re-
spects. The first point we notice Is the
paths of the planets, which are very I'M
| iiKe one another and change in shape.
Their importance is that they distinguish
the planets from the fixed stars, and fur
nish indubitable proof that the earth Is
not at rest. This is not new, but 1t is not
generally known that any OF us can trace
this irregular motion by first consulting
our almanac for the position of Mars or
Jupiter or some other planet, and, hav-
| ing found it, watch it from night to night
to compare its course with some one OF
the stars. We now turn TO Mercury, and
the first feature we notice is that IN &C
| cordance with Bodies law, the sun, as seen
| from Mercury, appears from ten to four
and one-half times as great as seen from
the earth. This variation is due to the
SUMS not being in the center of the orbit
Of Mercury. It's year is SO days, and
| little over seven days in its months. The
heat and light which it receives is ten
times as great as what we get 1t turns
on its axis in twenty-four hours and five
| minutes. The seasons are very marked,
the summers being intensely hot and the
winters severely cold. A mountain has
been described as having been discovered
by German astronomer, but the big tele-
scope at Greenwich fails to show it. AS
to the existence oflife the lecturer thought
the changes too great to admit of 1t. The
only way he could conceive OF its being
possible was for the inhabitants to be able
to travel to the poles with each change,
and it would then be necessary for them
| to have underground passages, the tropics
| would be so hot. Under the heat of the
summer sun in Mercury water would
boil, and by some it has been estimated
| that lead would melt, while in winter
mercury would freeze. We must, how
ever, remember that life is SO arranged
that it can adapt itself to the circum-
stances which surround it. In Venus we
have conditions more nearly like what
exist here; it is about The size of our
earth, and may be called the twin planet.
The chief difference is that 1t receives
twice the heat that we do. The year is
224 days; three Of its days is little over
one of ours. 1t travels on an axis very
much inclined, the sun changing in
grees Thus, if there were a Boston on
Venus, in the spring and autumn the days
and nights would be equal, but in winter
there would be some days when the sun
would remain below the horizon, and in
summer there would be an equal number
of days when the sun would not disap-
pear. At the equator the spring and au-
tumn would also have equal days, but
very hot; the summer and winter would
be alike. 1t has been the custom to de-
scribe Venus as very beautiful, and very
desirable place Of residence; and Flam-
marion, who had young lady friend die
of consumption, says he never looks at
Venus without thinking that she is there,
in bliss, and looking at us poor mortals in
pity. But, added the lecturer, can only
pity those who go there; it must be SO hot.
There is, however, one advantage that
Venus has over us-we must look very
beautiful to her. The earth must seem
very large, and must appear on the mid
night sky and must look very bright, be-
cause she has the full illumination Of the
sun. Astronomers have thought they had
discovered moon to Venus, but it. was
an optical illusion. They even calculated
its period from their observations, but
this was shown 70 be wrong from known
data.
The Earth was next treated by the lee.
turer, as the planet with which we are
most familiar, and then Mars was consid-
cred next in order. Pictures of this were
exhibited, showing the land and seas.
The seas are bottle-shaped. The
shape of the seas, he says, is important,
for they are just the shape our seas would
take If partially drained. 1t was for
long time doubted whether there was wa
ter present in them. But now the spec
troscope has proved it, for the spectrum
| of Mars exhibits the aqueous lines. White
spots were seen which gathered and disap-
peared, and which were supposed TO be
clouds, but which are now believed to be
hoar frost, the dew being depositad and
frozen every night and melted the next
day. The day of Mars is "a hours, 81 min
| utes and 22.7 seconds. 1t seems strange
that we should speak 80 accurately of the
time of the planet, but 1t is believed that
the rate of our earth is changing, owing
to the retardation of the tidal wave, and
1t is necessary to have an exact means OF
comparison in centuries to come. We
have then in Mars, land, water, ice, snow
and an atmosphere; now can there be life?
The atmosphere is proved to be very shall
low, and consequently it would be too cold
for such mortals as we.
--Burgardien's Paste Glue--M. Burgar-
diem, Of the Museum of Narbonne, has
given his name to q cement of great value,