The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-05-20
A Night Among Other Worlds.

description of his astronomical observa
tory on the top of his house in Scotland
commanding view of forty miles of hill
and valley scenery along the Tav, mus
7 feel a desire to follow the author in hi
studies of the stars. And, indeed, tn
amount of instruction and amusement
small astronomical telescope is capabl,
OF affording cannot be appreciated by the
man who never owned one. Some of the
most famous telescopes in existence ar,
owned by English amateurs, and mos
charming descriptive books on astronomy
have been written by Englishmen who DE-
not pretend to be professional astrono
mers. In this country we not only have
purer skies than those of England, and .
more favorable situation in latitude, but
some OF our opticians have astonished the
scientific men of Europe by their achieve.
news in telescope making. Yet the
number of Americans who own and use
telescopes, outside of the observatories.
is comparatively small.
Among the first objects that the anna
teur who has become the possessor of an
astronomical telescope turns to are the
planets, the earth's brother and sister
worlds. Although it is beyond expecta-
ton that any telescope will ever be con-
structed powerful enough to show us the
possible inhabitants of any of the planets,
yet every increase of telescope power re-
veals new features, and such discovery
as that of the existence of continents,
oceans and snow fields in Mars-the cor
rectness of which may be tested by any
one who has a good telescope of three or
four inches aperture enough to stir
the imagination of the most Indifferent
The first of the planets that the young
telescopist tries, and, with the possible
exception of Venus, the best known of
them is Jupiter, the giant of the family.
10 the unassisted eye this planet, which
Is 1900 times as bulky as the earth, ap-
pears as very bright star of slightly
yellowish hue, and of pretty steady
light. His four moons can be seen with
a flrst-rate spy-glass. but not to advan-
tage. To see Jupiter and bis moons
well, power of not less than fifty diam
eters should be employed on three-inch
telescope. Such power gives beauti-
full view OF the planet and the four satel-
lltes, all in one field. The difference in
the size and color of the moons can be
perceived with careful watching, and the
startling phenomenon of the sudden ex-
tnguishment of the moons as they pass
into the great conical shadow the planet
throws out into space behind him is dis
tlnctly seen. When magnified fifty times,
by which is meant fifty diameters, or
$500 times specifically. Jupiter ap-
pears larger than the full moon does to
the naked eye. The famous belts can be
seen with such power, but to reveal
their details power of at least $50 or
2OO should be used. Then the two great
equatorial belts may be seen, stretching
with broken edges and many riffs across
the disk; and the narrower belts and
zones of shade near the poles, the re-
glons OF varying colors, and any large
spots that may be present, are clear
" revealed. The most beautiful
phenomena, however, are the tran
sits of the moons and their shad- |
ows across the broad, yellow disk of |
he planet. These are of frequent oc- |
and can be well seen with a
,hree-inch glass of good construction.
Every time that one of the moons in its
circuit about the planet comes between
he sun and Jupiter its shadow can be
een upon the disk like round ink spot. |
the telescope is a fine one and the air
teady, the moon itself may be seen
lgainst the bright background of the disk.
n certain situations the shadow of the
noon Is thrown forward, so that it NAV
'e clearly seen far advanced upon the
lisk while the moon is yet shining against
ne clear sky. Hundreds of other inter-
sung observations may be made upon
his planet with small telescopes.
Saturn is, if possible, even more inter-
sting as telescope object than Jupi-
Or. His vast rings are unlike any other
nown object in the heavens. When
ne observer for the first time turns his
elescope upon the dull, medium-sized
Tar, for such Saturn appears to be to the
aked eye, and beholds a golden ball
lspended in the sky and circled by two
road, concentric rings that, it is easily
cen, are completely separated both from
ne planet and from each other, he can
OF repress an exclamation of astonish-
tent. The pictures of this wonderful
lanet in books of astronomy give no ]
dequate idea of his marvellous beauty
hen viewed through good telescope.
power of fifty diameters will just show
re existence of the rings, but powers of 8
20 to 400 are needed to bring out clear Z
all the wonderful details of the scene.
he strange dark, or gauze, ring within q
e two bright ones is not easily seen i
18th small telescopes. In good three
oh glass the black shadow of the ball t
plainly seen upon the rings back Il
the planet, and close inspection re- Q
als the narrow line. of shade that the s
1gs cast upon the ball. There are 2
'llcate markings on the planet that
rm test both of the powers of the
lescope and of the eye. Saturn has
yht moons, and very beautiful they
ok, thronging like golden bees about q
e rings. Only five can be seen with a !;
'od three and half or four inch glass. Il
It Titan, their chief, which is nearly as +,
'ge as the planet Mars, can be seen h
tn much smaller glass. For the next $
1r or five years the rings will slowly :,
en- wider, and their beauty will in W
ease month by month. Fl
Venus, which shines as the most bril- e,
MT star in the heavens. is a snlendid n