The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-01
CoLoRS OF THE PLANETS.
rFrom Appletons Journal.I

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The colors of the planets present in
teresting subjects for study in three
different departments of Astronomical
investigation, either observed by the
naked eye, seen through the telescope
or examined by the spectroscope.
The most familiar and accessible field
of research is found in the colors which
the planets exhibit to the naked eve.
Each of the five visible planets has an
individuality as characteristic as that
which distinguishes the members of the
same family, and this difference depends
largely.on popularity of coloring. Ju-
piter, the giant of the solar family, is
classed as a white star, although to our
vision there is q yellow tinge blended
with the whiteness. When shining in
full glory on the dark background of
the midnight sky, it is impossible to
mistake him for any other star in the
armament. When he is morning or
evening star, he is sometimes mistaken
for Venus. But careful attention will
easily detect the difference for Venus
is the more brilliant, while thetint of her
light is a much softer and more creamy
white. There is an indescribable love
illness about this planet, which belongs
to no other object in the heavens, and
which is largely due to the beaming
color she reflects. Mercury is also a
white planet, but differing entirely from
each of the others. His nearness to the
sun gives him peculiar, sparkling hue,
which can never be forgotten by those
who have been fortunate enough to
catch a view of the shy planet. He is
sometimes called the "Sparkler," from
this circumstance.
Mars is a red star, and was called the
Fiery One" by the Greeks on account
of his ruddy light. In ancient times,
his appearance was looked upon as the
harbinger of war. This planet has lost
a portion of his deep red color, and the
cause of the change has long been a
subject of discussion. 1t is now as
cribed to certain changes taking place
in the color of the constituents.
Saturn shines with dull-yelIow color.
This, with his slow movement and dis
NAL hue, accounts for the unlucky in
fuence ascribed to him by astrologists.
Thus we have sparkling white, creamy
white, golden white, deep red, and dull
yellow, for the colors of the visible
planets and, after little observation,
it is easy to detect each planet by the
color it reflects.
But the telescope reveals, in some of
the planets, peculiarities of color which
are found in nothing else in the heavens.
They are the only objects which are
actually varigated; for they present,
side by side, in belts, bands, and clouds,
tints of almost every imaginable color.
But the observation of the remarkable
phenomena is comparatively recent.
Such is the distance separating us from
these outer worlds, and such the deli
cacy of the coloring, that it requires
the most favorable atmospheric con-
ditions, and the most thorough familiar
ity with astronomy, to reach results in
the least degree satisfactory.
Mercury and Venus are so near the
sun that it is almost impossible to OBJ
tain trustworthy results regarding the
color of their surfaces indeed, it is
probable that they are never seen. But,
when we have passed the boundary of
the earth's orbit. we enter upon a more
satisfactory field of observation. Mars,
our next neighbor, ranks first among
the planets for the distinctness and
variety of the colors he presents. Two
liancy, marking his ice bound poles. A
delicately-tinted border of white light
the polar zones. Sometimes
a greenish tint of exquisite delicacy is
mingled with the white, and supposed
to be due to cumulus-clouds floating in
his atmosphere. The body of the
planet next appears, with the prevailing
red or ochreish tint giving the deep red
color so familiar to observers. We can
also detect occasional spots of salmon
colored light, brownish patches, and
even black spots, probably marking the
lands and continents. Then we see.
covering about the same portion of the
disk, green or indigo-gray portions,
forming the seas and oceans of the
planet. None of these spots are en-
tirely dark, but either family tinted,
almost white, or tinged with purplish
hue.
Jupiter, under a powerful telescope.
develops a marvellous splendor of col
oring. The poles are of singularly
beautiful color, called by painters ultra
and the spaces between
the dark belts are of a rich, creamy
white. The dark belts display remar-
kable gradations of color. Those near
est the poles are slate-colored: farther
on, a tirge of red mingles with the
gray ; this is succeeded by q delicate
chocolate while the belts on either
side of the equatorial bright zone de-
velop a garnet blending with the other
hues. The great equatorial belt is
nearly white, but has recently presented
unusual variations of color. changing
from greenish yellow to bright ochreish
yellow, and still more recently assuming
all the tints of yellow from Roman
orange to yellow lake. The belts vary
greatly in number, form, and extent,
while processes of disturbance are con-
stantly going on. Immense riffs open
in the vapOrOus masses, black spots
come into view, and all observation
seems to confirm the theory of the ac-