Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-04-09

duced by the bursting of planets. That
is not correct. Observations on the orbit
which would result from such catas-
trophe completely demolish that theory.
Considering the giant planets, to which
| next pass, we shall feel that they may be
quite unlike this earth on which we live.
Consider the enormous size of
JUPITER.
We are accustomed to consider him
larger than our earth, but it isn't merely
that; he is 1,230 times larger. Here is a
difference altogether too great to be re-
garded as a difference of degree; it is
difference of kind. Our conceptions of
them are necessarily different. We should
expect it would be different kind of body
from that on which we live, and we find
clear evidence of that as we consider him.
If the atmosphere of Jupiter were only
100 miles deep, the pressure at the bottom
would be so great that the bottom atmos-
phere would be million of times as
dense as platinum, the heaviest of all the
elements. 1t seems utterly impossible
that life in any such atmosphere could ex-
list; but that is the legitimate calculation
the pressure would be million times as
great as ours, so as to produce a density
equal to that of platinum. There is one
peculiarly about the planet opposed to
that idea. Instead of Jupiter being the
densest planet, it is less dense than the
earth. Its density is one-fourth the real
density OF the earth and corresponds with
that of the sun, and this seems to give an
explanation of the difficulty. The great
compression of the suns attraction would
make his atmosphere dense, but its enor-
nous heat expands the atmosphere, and
instead of being dense globe we have a
globe less dense than the earth.
The satellites of Jupiter may be bodies
well lighted, though not intended to sup
ply light to the planet. All the satellites
cannot supply the planet with one-six-
teenth of the light which we get from the
full moon. They are Illuminated by the
small sun of Jupiter, which is but the
one-twenty-ffth part of our sun in size.
SATURN.
Now to his brother giant, the planet
Saturn, with his glorious ring system.
Those belts on Saturn correspond IN kind
to those that exist on Jupiter; and
might apply the reasoning on Jupiter to
Saturn without any further argument
This equatorial belt of Saturn remains
during the whole long year of Saturn
lasting twenty-nine years of ours-equa-
tOrial. Now the axis of Saturn is in
clined very much as the earth's axis is in
clined, but the equatorial belt never
shifts, following the sun as ours does,
along the ecliptic. 1t seems by its posi-.
ton to show that it is produced by force
residing in the planet itself. Now there
is one argument derived from the rings
of Saturn. Those rings have been de-
cn~ hoo NV pn cfa,. rr1,N L
rejecting on Saturn, and making up
for want of the sun. Instead of doing
that, those rings cut off the sunshine.
When the winter Of part of the planet is
in progress, and when more light is
wanted, the ring cuts off the light. So,
If we are to argue from causatiOn, if we
be the abode of light, we have at once an
enormous difficulty brought before us.
Instead of the thing being well devised,
it seems i'll devised 1t seems as if the
only time the ring reflected light was
when it was not wanted, and when it was
wanted the ring came and cut off a great
part of the suns light, and it does not cut
it off for q short time, but for eight and
half years a certain portion of sunlight
is cut off, and for six of those years the
whole of the sunlight is cut off by it.
The largest of the satellites of Saturn is
called Titan, and is certainly larger than
Mercury, and probably as large as Mars.
How splendid must be the scene which
the planet Saturn presents to its inhabit-
ants! does seem as though a scene of
such wonderful beauty was not intended
to remain without spectators. 1t presents
through the telescope the most beautiful
colors, the most wonderful symmetry
all presented to the inhabitants, if inhab-
itants there be.
LIFE IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
Now few words remain to me on the
general question of life in the solar sys-
tenn. | must confess the more I study
the matter | am convinced we are not
bound, in order to reconcile US to the
Almighty's work, to adopt the theory
that all or any considerable portion of
the planets are inhabited. We look
back at the past history of the earth,
and we find that the Creator is, in
our eyes, wasteful of His powers, though
inflnity can never be wasted. So in the
question of time there has been no special
care to make avail of every instant of the
existence of the different worlds We
find that for millions of years back our
world was uninhabited, and we see, in
regard to future condition, that even
though there should not be destruction
from fire, life will probably by other
causes pass away from the earth. So far
from considering that every member of
the solar family must be inhabited at the
present time, the chances really are mill
ions to one against any special planet
being Inhabited, because the time it has
been inhabited, if judged in anatomy with
our own earth, must be very, very small
part of the whole time in which the planet
exists.