Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-07-15
The Planet Saturn.


early morning sky, may be considered IN
almost every respect as the most interest
ING body within the limits Of our planetary
system. When seen upon dark sky, and
f,vorably situated for observation, this
planet is really the most charming tele-
scopic object in space. Second only 70
Jupiter in mass and volume, Saturn far
surpasses that huge planet, both in the
beauty and completely of his system
Once every year and thirteen days Saturn
comes into his opposition, at which time
he vies with Jupiter and Venus In brill
fancy, and presents Almost magnificent ap-
pearance in the heavens. Saturn can be
easily recognized in the sky by his mild,
white light. His slow and majestic mo-
ton over the heavens will alone enable one
TO find him among the stars; and when
once carefully located he cannot possibly
be mistaken for any other planet visible TO
the naked eye.
To the anccnts Saturn was the most dis
tant known planet from the sun, and was
supposed to be situated at the extreme
limit of our planetary system. He was
chosen by the alchemists as the representa-
tive of the heavy and lusterless metal lead,
dele'erious in its influence on the body and
of little intrinsic value" The astrologers
selected him as the planet which worked
the most mischievous effects on the for
tunes Of the human race He was held
to be not only mean but an evil planet;
aptly named after the old-time god, whose
cruelty was matched by his dizziness and
Stupidity
To the amateur in astronomical science
the planet Saturn must surely prove an in
teresting object Of study. No one can OBJ
serve this beautiful orb through power
full telescope without being inspired with
an emotional love for astronomy.
Saturn revolves about the sun at a mean
distance of $4,000, 900 miles, which is
nearly twice the distance Of Jupiter from
that lumnary. The year of Saturn-that
is, the time required by him to complete
one circuit around the sun--is equal to
about thirty of ours. On account of his
great distance from the sun he moves
through the air with an apparent motion
much slower than that of Jupiter, and re-
auires two and one half years to pass over
a single constellation of the zodiac; so
that when Saturn has been once located
among the stars he can he easily recog-
nzed at any time and will always be re.
membered Although Saturn appears to
move so very slowly through the sky, yet
he is really moving in space at the rate OF
II 900 miles per hour. This hardly seems
possible when one observes his slow,
dreary movements over the sky from our
terrestrial standpoint So slow is the real
motion of this planet in its orbit rs com
pared with that of our earth that 1.-The
earth leaves it Mt conjunction, makes a
yearly revolution about the sun, and over
takes Saturn In about thirteen days there
after
Saturn has diameter of about 70 900
miles, which is nine times greater than
that of the earth. Its volume is nearly
$50 times that of the earth; but the mass
of this planet does not exceed the earth's
mass in so great proportion His den
sity Is only ne.ninlh that of orr planet
and, therefore, nine cubic feet of Saturn
would ON an average contain the same
amount of matter as one cubic foot OF our
earth.
When powerful telescopes are directed
upon the planet Saturn dark belts are FIRE.
uuently observed on his surface similar
in appearance To those of Jupiter, but iaf
more faint and obscure, Vast and some
times remarkably sudden changes in the
number and appearances of these belts
have been observed to take place, which
has led astronomers 10 believe that Saturn
is cnyclopcd in An atmosphere of great eX
tent and density. About the polar re-
gions of Saturn Sir John Herschel ire
quently observed slight changes in It's
light, and also the appearance ofoXtensive
cloudy spaces, which has still further in
creased the evidence of the existence of a
dense atmosphere around this planet.
In the year 1893 Sir William Eerschel
determined the length of Saturns day, OF
the time required to turn once upon It's
axis. This was accomplished by repeat
eddy observing the faint spots which some
times. though very seldom. appear upon
the belts of this planet. " Tie watched and
noted them with great care through zoe
rotations of the planet, examining them
under varied circumstances and aspects,
and at length came to the conclusion that
Saturn completes revolution on its axis
IN ten hours, sixteen minutes and ioui
seconds" The axis upon which Saturn,
revoveS is inclined 10 the plane of its
orbit at an angle OF 63 deg. and 10 min 5000
position which tends to give 10 this
planet nearly the same diversity of sea
sons rs that which we enjoy upon the
earth,
Saturn is attended during his Journey
tArough space by a family of eight satcl
lites, which must greatly add TO the beaut,
of the nocturnal Sky rs Srcn from thi,
planet They have received the names q
Mimas, Euceladus, Tethys, Djonc, Rhea
Titan, Hyperion and Japcus Only tour
or five OF them can be perceived through
ordinary telescopes. The others are yisi
bic only in instruments of the creates
efficiency.
These satellites do not like those q
Jupiter, form system of nearly cJus
bodies " Titan, the sixth in order of dis
lance from Saturn, is probably larger thar
any of Jupjtcrs satellites The eight
l.