The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-10-14
THE MONSTER PLANET.

Jupiter reached his perhileon, or
nearest point to the sun, Sept. 25.
This is an astronomical event of con-
siderable Importance, as it occurs
only once in about twelve years.
As the planet is some million of miles
nearer the earth than usual, an ex-
cellent opportunity is given for the
study of its features. Even the
smallest telescope will now show
some of the wonders of this great
planet, and its system of satellites,
and with larger telescopes, astron-
omers hope within month or two,
to add much to our knowledge of
the chief member of the suns family.
Jupiter will remain the leading brill
liant to the sky throughout October,
shining SO brightly that even Sirius
must temporarily yield the palm.
There is another reason for inter
est that Jupiter's arrival at perihel-
ion excites. More than a year ago
some professed scientific persons on
the Pacific slope, wrote pamphlet
on the perlhelia of the four great
planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and
Neptune, which, it was represented,
would occur almost simultaneously,
and with those planets in conjunc-
ton, fearful results to the earth were
predicted. The savants, and, no
doubt, awoke the fears, not only of
the ignorant, but of persons who
knew enough of astronomy to be
aware of the gigantic attractions
that the planets exert upon one an
other. Stories of plaques, pestil-
ence, famine, and death were based
upon the supposed influence of the
perhelia. Mr.. Proctor and other
astronomers sought to counteract
the effect of this by showing, in the
first place, that it was not true that
the planets named would be in per-
helion together. In fact, Saturn
does not reach its perhelion until
1885. Uranus will be in perhel-
ion next spring, but Neptune will
not reach its nearest point to the
sun until six or seven years hence
1t was also denied by scientific men
of high authority that there was any
reason to fear evil results to the earth
even though the predicted perhelia
should occur very near together
Still, alarm was felt, and no doubr
many persons will be glad to know
that Jupiter, the most powerful O
all the planets, has reached the
dreaded perhehon point, and is al
ready turning to retrace its steps
without having in any way injured
his sister planet, the earth.
That the sun has felt the approach
of the great planet and has shown
in the prevalence of vast sun spot
and outbursts of gaseous matter, i
not improbable, and through the re
! flex action of the sun upon the eartl
our planet may even now, feel tn
same influence of violent atmospher,
phenomena. 1t is difficult to realiz,
the enormous power of the brigh
speck, Jupiter, shining so quietly il
the sky. A recent writer has shown
, that the power which the sun ha
to put forth to hold Jupiter in it
, orbit, is equal to the combines
strength of ITO, 100000 bars of soil,
steel, each one mile in diameter
Jupiter's pull upon the earth, &c
cording to the same authority, il
| equalto the strength of %, 900, 900,
, 900 bars of steel, each of them on
/ foot in diameter. So, if the mer
: power of gravity were all that wa
required to make Jupiter's approach
, dangerous to the earth, evidentl,
he is not lacking in that power
But no one need fear that the sister
hood of worlds which acknowledge
the dominion of the sun, will prov
mutually destructive.