The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-05-15

The planet Jupiter, the largest in the solar
system, is now IA very prominent object IN
the evening sky. He comes To the meridian
near eleven O'Clock, having been in opposi,
ton to the sun about two weeks since.
1t is not necessary to give directions for
finding him, other than that he is the bright
est star visible cast from the southern line;
but note OF his position VITA reference To Il
few stars may serve rs IA help To recognize
them when the planet has eft their ncighbo:,
hood.
A little TO the right of Jupiter, and sou'il-
ing about nine O'Clock in the evening, !, "a
very pretty ilgure-a trapezium-of stars, the
upper side Of which may be roughly describ.
ed as seeming 10 be about yard across.
This figure is the constellation Corvus, the
Crow 4 line from the two upper stars 10
Jupiter will pass through bright star, usual
ly ClaSscn rs of the first magnitude. 1t Is
the principal star in Virgo, the Virgin, or the
Cleaner, and is represented on the globes as
in handful of corn carried by the female.
Hence the star has been called Spica and
Azimcch. 1t is also called Arista; not from
the Greek word meaning "tho best as some
may suppose but from Il word signityng the
spike OF an ear of corn, or the car itself
The constellation COvus, with its four
principal stars, and two other outlying ones
NJ opposite NnIltlN u Inv lOuT SIbCu III IL, 10
very easily rcypr..'r..' when once the obscrv.
or has identified 3. IA tue sky.
The planet Jupiter has been written about
so much recently that we scarcely need essay
another description. We may, however, note
briefly the results OF the latest cumulative
research, differing considerably III several re-
spccis from the gcnerally-acccpted statements
of the textbooks
The mean distance of Jupiter from the sun
is Al, $4,000 miles or little more than , ,
times the mean distance of the earth from the
sun He travels through space iarOund the
SUM at the rate of little more than eight
miles per second. His equatorial diameter
Is 2S5, 800 miles, or 10S times that of the earth.
His volume is 1916 times that of the earth.
His weight mass compares with that of the
earth as 30j27 to 1; to that of the earth plus
the moon as 30l ST TO |; and To- that of the
sun ~ to 1913 nearly.
Jupiter is attended 10y four satellites, the
respective diameterS of which are :, $50 miles,
> ITO miles 3,44S miles and 1850 miles. All
but the second are larger than our moon.
The third shines as a star of the sixth magni'
tude. and could be seen with the naked eye
if il were not partially obscured by tho superb
OF brightness of the planet.
\ great deal has been written within the
past few years about the great changes OBJ
Scrvablc IN the atmosphere ol Jupiter, anu INC
fact that he reflects 10 us so much light that
his temperature must be only little below
the point necessary To selCluminosity. II is
believed that the planet is too hot TO permit
on his surface any Of the forms of life with
which we are acquainted; and this lclief has
BEEN written up in such a way or ways as 10
lead many people TO think that the iGea Is
original with some astronomers OF the present
generation. Ii is refreshing TO turn 10 the
works of the eminent naturalist Button, who
fourished more than a century ago, and there