Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-08-08
The occuisasieu or sssuru.

A. Iue occoltstlon OF the planet Saturn nv
elthough OF lot much vaiue 10 srfs1sssfsy
E0e moon isst night being luSf on fhe wane
or almost fnll, its light Was Too great 10 al,
Tons except with tie sid OF tire most ro~S,-
lGI telescopes. Mr.. l.. NJ Rutherford To-,
well Known amateur astronomer o; this city.
oeloe out OF town. hts observatory WAS
closed, and bis nephew, Mr.. Bellinger Mhite
VINO was very anxious 70 witueSS the event
oonterted himself with q hand telescope
and the planet was clearly visible 10 the
nakrd eye all the time NJ % within about
ten minutes before the great white disk OF
me moon crept over aud obscurei IL Saturn
looked Ike diamond of large size vaen al
the apparent distance Of twfce tue rnoon,s
diameter, and grew psler aud less brilliant
Is the great planet and the small satsuits
approached each other. Toe coalanctiou
look place AT lo.ss y IN, ami lrOn that tins
NJ % midnight Saturn was lost % view.
Many persons Witnessed the Occnitatioa
through small telescopes IA diTsrelt parts
OF the city.
Saturn las always been one Of the most
Interesting bodies Ia the solar system, aud
next 10 The sun itself has been the object of
we noost Study and speculation. II 10 next
70 me largest ,'lsnet In the solar system, De
ing inferior % Jupiter only. Is voIane A.
go times that OF toe earth. but is terS,ty
belhs leks-sosne what lighter than "a
wy It's Neight IL only ninety Times thai
or TIE eSrth. It's mean dlsisnc, =, :, tl,a "a Z,
is 5000, GO miles, and u camnlefsS ffsorhtf
~ about twenty nine and a hai os or r.a-.
Ahe 0iehle-cE OF ostITa Is f1unt ~ % anJuf
$3.50 miles, and a. a. revolves GA ttS avis Ia
tSC and bsI hours It, 81 4 startat -l,eify
y 10 arly twenty two times great..r IA a thaf
OF the earth. The oiststucs az saturn fr.,,r
The sun being more THAI nine sad a half
times ss great a tle earth's, 70 fNllags tna.
tie apparent diameter 81 the saa. as seen
nom the pilnet. must % Ices ia pr,r, ,rftD \
and II IS estimated tbat the intensity OF The
suns light and heat a. the surface OF saturn
- less Than one ninef,eth OF what a - 81
The surface OF the sartn. The remarkahie
rugs surrounding Saturn, first geea dInnly
by calico through his small and I'm
perfect telescope, and whlcn puzzled the
oi" astronomer - Iong Rs ne lived
we're really discovered by Huygt.ens IN lose
wren hey we're nrSt knOgn 70 be rings.
anu mol IN andes" rls sat on the Sides of Ia
planet. THESE rings are now known 20 be
composed OF an infntie number OF small
satellites huidled together. 50 10 sneaE a.
as 10 give To the whole the appearances OF
complete, unoroEen rings. Bssiles her
Splendid rings, Saturn IL attended by seven
moons. An astronomer who tried u inae-
Ire himself transported to saturn sata fbs,
lne ce4eStial phenomena az that planet musf
Present scene OF extre ne beanty aud gran
oecr: The starry vault, besides be ing d.
serklnea ny SO mauy satellites, presentiog
every variety OF phase, must be SPANIEL, N
certain parts OF the planet, AM during dir
iefent portions OF its long year. oy broaf
luminous arches extending 70 different eIa
Satlons, according 10 the place of the o.
parts the shadow OF the planet. or late years.
however, IL has been fully determined thai
90 lie. such al least Is exists on the eartn
can exist Oh the planet Saturn, as that orb
sun burns with Its original IRE. IL formed
al the same period as the ear.h IN has moi
had any thing Ike time enough 70 cool, aud
IL mas even been proved that lt changes Ia
thspe al certain periods, showing that IL has
not yet formed thick crust. such as sur
rounds the earth, but Is still a moItel mass
OF nvlng nre--lN y World.