The Portland daily press., 1881-03-15
Venus, with Reflections.

| ing us and will not attain its nearest point til
May 1st?
The increase is owing to its greater apparent
diameter, combined with the less distance il:
rays have to travel, although that portion
which is illuminated of its surface is constant
| ly diminishing.
These eontending forces are brought to an
| equilibrium ON the 25th instant after which
the shady will prevail, overcoming the splen.
did until is extinguished in the solar ray.
While we gaze at and admire the brilliancy
OF Venus, the thought sometimes arises how
does our residence appear to the inhabitants of
Venus? For who can doubt that Venus is in
habited by race of sentient beings?
No two planets in our system, which is the
only system we really know anything about. so
closely resemble each other as Venus and the
Earth. Their diameters differ but three per
cent, while their absolute difference of dis
tance from the central luminary is less than
that of any other two, and their relative diff
ference much less still, if we leave out the As
teroids, which are never visible to the naked
eye. Venus is surrounded with an atmosphere
like ours without any doubt and its rotation
on its axis comes very much nearer to ours
than that OF any other member of our system
All which fit it for a race similar to ours
The analogy would lead US to suppose that
the rejecting surface is alike in the two,
But we have ocular proof in the phenomenon
called "the old moon in the new moons arms'
where the entire body of the moon is made
plainly visible by the reflected light from the
disc OF our planet No doubt, therefore, ex-
lists that the Earth reflects light as we'll, at
least, as the planet Venus
How do they compare, as seen from each 9th
er, at this period of the greatest brilliancy of
Venus?
The Illuminated portion of our Earth as seen
from Venus is nearly nine-tenths, and taking
into consideration the greater magnitude of
the Earth it is fully that amount, or proper
tional part, of the disk of Venus
Venus shows three tenths of her disk,
whence it appears that we display three times
the surface to her that she does to us, but as
light, like attraction, varies inversely as the
square of the distance, our light from the
same amount of surface is 81 per cent. of that
| of Venus, consequently one and six-tenths ex-
presses the proportion, and we appear to Venus
little more than one-half brighter than she
now appears to us.
| We therefore make a splendid appearance
to the sight seerS In Venus, yet it is but little
compared with what we shall soon manifest.
On May 1st our disk will be filed out and ap-
| pear perfectly round, an increase of one-ninth
and the distance of the Earth from Venus will
be decreased from AZ 900 600 miles to q, 900 900
| which will increase the apparent magnitude
of the Earth's disk two and six-tenths, and the
Illuminating power in the same ratio also. The
| equation stands thus: 7S-100x2 6-10x2 Clio
II and a small fraction. So that without doubt
the Earth will then appear to Venus twelve
times as bright as Venus now appears to us, or
as brilliant as group of twelve stars the size
| of Venus.
did object appearing as star in the solar sys-
| tenn, with the single exception of Venus as
seen from Mercury.
| Mercury moves in very eccentric orbit, and
when at its aphelion with Venus opposite, it is
| nearer to that planet than the Earth can be.
Consequently its brightness is more than dou-
BILE. This seldom occurs; but next Christmas
| day it will be near that point sufficiently to
fully double the view.
Shall zoe ever behold such splendor? Shall
| we ever be able to take our standpoint on We
nus or Mercury, or Mars, or Jupiter, and from
thence view all the glories of the heavenly
| orbs?
1t has been conjectured by some, who were
reputed wise in their day, that the disembod-
| led spirits were allowed tn travel through all
/
our system, but those very magnificent orbs,
| with their attendant systems, which appear to
us as stars, but which we now know are, some
OF them, many times larger than our sun, and
| probably all that we see average his size.
For who can doubt that they "are in all
| things like as we are," since the spectroscope
| has revealed to us that they are composed of
the same chemical constituents as our globe?
| Would it not be noble employment to visit
| and examine all those mighty and resplendent
| OrhSo And wOud pot a dQpDpninU
wade our minds of the Infinite Energy that
moves them all, and keeps each individual in
its appropriate orbit?
Is it objected that we might tire of seeing
the same objects through the countless ages OF
eternity?
We may reply that the telescope reveals to
us vast variety; but although ages might be
required, aye, countless ages, in the examina-
tion of all those objects within its compass, yet
all that is as nothing compared to ininity.
Were we removed to the farthest star that
can be discerned through the telescope, should
we not see before us, and all around, as we'll as
In the rear, the canopy covered with stars, the
same as we now behold? and if we proceed
again as much farther, would not the view be
similar, and so on without end, forever, not
alone in that direction, but in all conceivable
directions? And although the infinite is be-
| yond our comprehension, yet we can plainly
| perceive that the universe must be boundless,
and the number of objects unlimited.
We cannot realize the vastness of what is
visible to our natural eyes. When the cars on
a railroad move 60 miles an hour we call il
very rapid travelling, but this globe is con-
stantly moving more than 10000 miles per
hour, and that rapidity sinks into insignifi-
cance compared with the speed OF light, which
travels more than 70O,0On000 miles in one
hour. Moving at that enormous and almost
inconceivable rate, we know that it requires
| more than six years to reach us from the near
est star; so that if the stars we're annihilated
btc nnyrf rnu1A firnn To ho danr
six years, all of them; while ages would elapse
before the last one disappeared from view.
All the stars embraced in catalogues are
rated by magnitudes, down to the 10th, the
first six embracing all that can be discerned
by the unaided eye; the remainder those thai
can readily be seen by telescopes of moderate
power, while others far down the scale can be
distinguished by means of the magnificent
telescope constructed by our distinguished
countryman Alvan Clark, who is fal
light light which "sonas eomes to our Eyes eyes from
these, left them in all probability mil
lions of years ago, although travelling more
than eleven million miles per minute.
How inconceivably vast is that portion o.
the universe which can be seen by man
What extensive and unending employment
would afford to spirits to visit, examine, ap
preciate and admire the beauties and splen
dors offered to their view in infinite space
But above and beyond the material exhibition
would DC the interchange Oh IDEAS anu Sentl
ments with the beings who took their origin
from each and every orb. As high as the in
tellectual and moral are above the physica
nature of man, would be the communion o
spirits throughout all the region of space.
Employment then, eternal in duration, witt
perpetual change of objects, may be the por
tion of the spirits, precluding safety, and in
suring perfect and unending felicity.
Does not this magnificent conception lead u
up to the highest appreciation and admiration
of the Infinite Energy that controls and regu
lates all things; and brings forth the excla
nation, "What is man that thou art Mindful
of thim, or the son of nan that thou visites
him!i j. III.