, 1876-08-31

Tho above diagram represents the position
Of the. planet and h's rings, With rclyenco TO
beginning ol the occu,tatIon. On the same
siAle OF " Inches to the minute Of nrc, tho
,lse Of The lunar disc woul1 he represented by
circle Of AK inches In diameter Tho lina
feeiton d. the moons eentrs.. It Is also nearly
,hc relative path Of Saturn behind the moon
dufng the occuitation.
The diagram also approximately indicates the
The planet advances. obllqieIly, tho southern
hJo Of the. westcrn edge coming out frat, aud
the northern part OF the eastern edge OF tho
tlngs being Inst III apparent contact with the
moon.
This beautiful phenomenon can scarcely be
observed with The naked eye as tho light Of tho
nearly full moon will ue 40 great as 70 obscure
silat Of Saturn. for aome tltno. before md
ss1onomla x snGs tel.seope 20 FsS Is st Setter with
tic last mined instrument tho abovaposltlons
Stl! appear to bo reversed, Al the rays Of light
seconds: IL Is not necessary to calculate 1t with
she precision rcqufred for ctnErgcncc, for
reasons very well understood by tho practical
II will be obscrved that the rInga Of Saturn
lppcnr to bo much narrower than they orc
usually Eeprcso,'tcd ln the text books. The
p,tsGAt ntc'uttu 10 o!t} oME. en.n ~ -
planet. Most Of our rcnaors probably know
lint the proportion letwcen the dlnmctess,, as
ncsn bS nst In dependent upon oat. Shasiging
% %Fhe carth il ''1RSs' now elcyatc'I eight aud 4
quarter degrees above that pltno. 70
tho uorthward. and the angle will d.
nnlsh from. now till March, l8s8, when
towards Is, and they will be visible, only is
very thin llnc, even In tho best Of telescopes.
From that ttiue for about ~ years. tic rings
will gradually "open OUT presenting to us tho
away from Us. During tho ncxt ~ years tn.
apparent brealth of the ringH Will decrease; Ar
soon, IN @sS Your hence tho aspect Ok the
rings VIII be nearly the shi'c az at present. INC
major axis Of tho figure now forms nn anRlO OF
" degrees with the hour circle that passes
through IL; tile western end being turned north.
wart degrees from the lino Of astronomical
eaat and west.
Tho rings arc now 80 o0ltqucly situated thAt
They elnnot hc studied to advantage through
the telescope Il 10 not only difficult to CATCH
Ellintso of tho tlylslous, but even to say from
a the ant Msea sSs 9t the rngs l. ctwse
us lust about - much NJ they wGso to Gallleu
when he turned Ills imperfect instrument upon
tilthi. ~ "a no Wonder that lie waa unable 70
determine tier ci'aTactsr, OF that Saturn should
10 regarded rs "a planet With handles "
(an'ae) Us !" SOLUTION Of tie difficulty. II re-
qu,rxt nearly halt century Of patient ob-
seSVatlon 10 n.y.! uot INC tfnt!i. which vas asl-
nou'Mcd by Huyeens. Under these cIruunl-
sta''res y mnsl ~ regarded as tv7v strangs that
INC iilh.oos al'pear ~ aavo suspected, or
known of' the exiattneG u q uoaolc rlur uround
Saturn inanY centuries before tho age Of Ialt-
leo. I!!cy could stascGtY have obtained aucl,
knnxiSdgs " aossfvattnn IN ahn we als almost
Obliged to fall BACK on tho dilemma that they
either received iat truth ~ mepsrnt,on, or else
that they plared tWo sefpehts aiuana Tho hoty
ef ihslr Deity, sani, u represent - :oiHs ~ other
HAck tJ4Il kG R1tIiullt acc0ItptuAGnk 01 HAt Urn.
A FEW eionnEs' @ .,.
Ia ~ coinparatlvtly ,ttle vn'ue S 20 la!s; make
statements Of planetary distances on. mAg3Mi.
tudes, unicsa for purposes oi comparison. W.
can form no idea Of the aetnal aimenstons 1rnT'
any nero asray u hgurcs nut He aaay Monlt.
ahly state Jew, as means o1 compalMg the
ELECTS Of relaslvu ts!stanca Oh apparent magnl
tu'!c. lu tho ainyc diagram saturn repre-
6Ghted ny slFelo !cna than Elai& ~ incn "
diameter; willis Ho have n!rCa1y statsa tnat tit
moon would require elstIo ot 4o'a 'oenS.
WmNi. ~ u naosu tIa. n nstH ~ ~. semn sr.ia
H ~ 'cp!ssuas UT w tns os' a.a n"ari,