The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1878-05-09
The Planses Described.


Of the solar system, sndthe arcat
dispenser Of heat and light to oil the
planets. Around the Sun all The
plauets revolve, he being the great-
est and most influential system
known TO us in the universe. The
distance Of Che Sun from tho earth
is ninety.fivo millions Of milos, and
his diameter is estimated at eight
hundred aud eighty-seven thousand
miles. A body Of such mighty
dimensions hanging on nothing il is
certain must have emenated from an
Almighty power,
Mercury, tho planet nearest to the
Sun, is about throe thousand miles
at diameter and rovolves around him
in distance Of thirty-seven millions
of miles No signs of an atmos-
phere have been discovered in this
planet Tho Suns heat at Mercury
is about seven times greater than it
is on this earth, so that water, il ma
ture follows tho same laws there
that she dose here, cannot exist at
Mercury, except 10 tho state Of
steam.
Venus.-This is tho other planet
whose orbit is within that on earth.
Her diameter is about eight thous-
and miles, being somewhat larger
than the earth. Her revolution u
round the Sun is performed in two
hundred and twenty-four days, at
the distance Of sixty-eight millions
Of miles from him. She turns on
hor axis once in twenty-throe hours
so that her day her day is q little
than ours. Her hourly motion in
her orbit is eighty thousand miles.
Venus, as seen, from tho earth, il
tho most brilliant of all tho pri mary
planets, and is better known than
any nocturnal luminary except the
moon. When seen through a tele-
scope she EXHIBITS the phases of the
moon, and her face is sometimes var
iegated with dark spots. This plan
ct may often be seon in the daytime,
even when she is in the vicinity OF
the Sun. a luminous appearance
around this planet seen at certain
times, proves that she has an atnos-
phere. Some Of her mountains are
several times more olevatd than any
on our globe, being from ten to
twenty-five miles high She some-
times appears to recedo from tho Sun
and approach him, ns her orbit is
within that OF tho earth, her distance
from us varios from twenty seven
millions to one hundred and sixty
threo millions Of miles. When We
nus is in that part OF herorbit which
gives her the appearance Of being
west OF tho Sun, she rises before
him and is then called the morning
star and when she appears east of
tho Sun she is behind him in her
course, and is then called the evening
star. These periods do not agree
with the yearly revolutions Of the
earth or Of Venus for she is alter.
nately two hundred and ninty days
tho morning star, and two hundred
and ninety days the evening star.
The reason OF this is, that the earth
and Venus move round tho Sun in
the same direction, and hence her
relative motion, in respect to the
earth, is much slower than her abso~
lutte motion in her orbit.
The Earth--The next planet in our
system nearest the Sun is the earth.
Her diamter is eight thousand miles.
This planet revolves around him in
three hundred and sixty-five days,
five hours and forty-eight minutes,
and at the distance Of ninety.five
millions Of miles. Il turns on its
own axis once in twenty four hours,
making q day and o night. The
earth's revolution around the Sun is
called its annual or yearly motion,
because it is performed in o year
while the revolution around its own
axis is called the diurnal or daily
motion, because il takes place every
day. The earth's motion in her or
bit is at the rate Of sixty-eight thous-
and miles per how.
The moon.-The moon, next to the
Sun, is to US the most brilliant and
interesting Of all the celestial bodies.
Being the nearest to US Of any of the
heavenly orbs, and apparently de-
signed for our use, she has been OBJ
served with great attentions, and
many of the phenomena which she
presents are therefore better under-
stood and explained than those oil
the other planets. The distance OF
the moon from the earth is two-hun.
dred and forty thousand miles. Her
surface, when seen through tele>
scope, appears to be diversified with
hills, mountains, valleys, rocks and
plains, presenting most interesting
and curious aspect
Mars.-The next planet In our solar
system is Mars, his orbit surround
| ing that Of the earth. The dame
tor Of this planet 10 upwards Of four
thousand milos, being about half that
/ Of the earth. The revolution OF
Mars around the Sun 10 performed
in nearly six hundred and eighty
seven days, or in somewhat less than
two ofour years, and he turns on
his axis once 10 twenty four hours
and forty minutes His mean dis.
tance from tha Sun is one hundred
and forty.four millions Of miles,
o> kL>k Aa vnnvoa In HE nrh;k "A khS