The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-08-05
OUR SISTER WORLDS.

Planets That May BE Seen in the Heavens
Now-a-Nights-Ju Mars, saturn and
Venus.
Not often do the starry heavens show
us four strongly-shining, bright planets
in one night, but this has been for some
time past the position of Jupiter, Mars,
Saturn and Venus. First comes into
view that giant planet-that vast orb,
whose diameter is eleven times and his
volume 1900 times that of our OWL
glooe-Jupiter, the planet of the mighty
cloud-envelopes, whose continued over
shadowing of the planet himself has lee
astronomers to doubt if telescope visioI
has ever yet really penetrated these
enormous layers of vapor to the surface
OF the planet itself. Jupiter is seer
soon after dark almost directly in the re
nith-his position at s o'clock being
little west'and south of it; and his SLOW
and majestic sweep around the sun
which requires twelve of our years
scarcely better COMFORTS with his vas
dimensions than does his apparent jour
ney every night through the skies
earth. He sets not far from midnight
Proctor believes Jupiter to be still
mass of seething internal volcanic fire
giving out heat like sun, and havinl
but very slight crust cooled as yet
and that subject to continual fiery ou'
bursts and overfows; while the vas
cloud-belts, a thousand miles deep, ar
either partly of volcanic origin, or ar
discharging upon the planet itself sue
floods of sulphur charged rain as
cannot imagine. Mars next comes j
sight. He rises red away in the soutl
ern part of the eastern horizon soon a
ter dusk, and by 8 o'clock is q conspict
GUS object, well up in the southern hea7
ems, and easily distinguishable by h
ruddy hue. 1t is a good time to sea
Mars through a good telescope, for
will be two years before he is again
SO favorable position as he has been
for the last month, and will be for lit
time longer. That bright star of tt
ruddy hue that comes up almost in Il
southeast soon after dark, is the neig'
hor world which of all the planetary sy
tenn has presented the most interestin
field for astronomical study, and best
warded such studies. tits pretty defnit
ly decided that this rudy hue is due
some quality OF characteristic of his sol
Mars, smaller planet than earth, presen
a number of features that seem to wa
rant the conclusion that his more gener
laws and features are something akin
those of our world. He has an atmo
phere; he has his season of winter al
summer-the region of snow and i
around the southern pole, annually al
visibly decreasing and increasing in VIII
may be summer and winter. There
on that distant world oceans and con
nents; this much at least is certain. n
such oceans as the Atlantic and PaciG
but strange, bottle-shaped seas, of
great extent compared with eartl
greatest. Whether they are ever froz
or not nobody on earth yet knows; b
it is Mr.. Proctor's belief that Mars al
other planets than ours, has gone
past his period of greatest life, and
fast approaching, if he be not alrea
entering, the cold and ifeless conditi
of such bodies as our moon, whose
ternal heat is exhausted. Later, risi
wan and far, pale but luminous gh(
of a planet in the eastern sky, comes
great Saturn-the ringed world. Tn
on some accounts, is the most intere
ing study of all the planets; chiefly |
cause of the mobility and uncertainty
it's occasionally shifting shape, and |
cause of it's giant Illuminated rings
its eight attendant moons. It's enc
nous distance also invests it with CT
tain interest which would be wanting
near object. It is ascertained that
density does not exceed that of watel
and the probabilities seem to favor Il
conclusion that Saturn is still a globe
molten matter--a world Of liquid fir
It's aspect seen OH clear night throue
good glass, as the great lemon-colore
planet, girdled with its vast ellipt
rings, goes sailing silently across tx
field of vision, is beautiful and interes
ing beyond that of any other. MUG
later-in fact, in the early dawn of tn
morning y Venus comes resplendentl
into view. Most brilliant of all th
planets to us, because she is nearer t,
us and to the sun, this remarkable siste
world, nearest and apparently most TX,
our own world, is never more brilliant
never more beautiful, than when, as tn,
morning star, she sheds the luster of he
golden Cbut borrowed beams upon tn,
earth in the stiffness of the clear morn
ing. Venus will probably always be &.
difficult object to study, because of he.
proximity to the sun, but it is fount
that there are reasons for believing som,
of her mountains to be equal in heigh
to the highest of our own world.