The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1882-12-14

Ihe reporter saw the mysterious ring,
and was surprised to perceive that it
was partially transparent. The astron-
omer explained that this had been ac-
counted for on the supposition that the
rings are composed of a multitude of
little satellites revolving in about the
same plane, and that in the gauze ring
these satellites are comparatively so few
in number that the ring appears trans
parent "But,n he added, "the fact
is we don't know what these rings are,
and if anybody is able during the pres
ent favorable opposition of the planet to
throw any light on the question, all as
tronomers will unite in thanking him.
But there is one strange and startling
thing about those rings which possesses
especial interest. Some thirty years
ago the astronomer Struve collected
data which seem to show that the rings
are rapidly approaching the planet. and
will touch it or fall in upon it about the
year 2150. If such catastrophe should
occur, some of our -great-great-
grandchildren may live long enough to
witness it,
DO you suppose Saturn has any in
habitantsp the reporter asked.
tWell, that question that has been
q good deal debated" was the reply.
"The possibility OF such magnificent
planet being inhabited is something that
has had a powerful charm for the
human imagination ever since the in
vention of the telescope. Swedenborg
said Saturn was inhabited by an up
right and modest race. and his descrip-
tion of how they lived, taking little care
for food or raiment, but subssting up
on the natural productions of their
planet, and beholding those wonderful
rings as a strange whiteness in the sky,
is very curious reading. The facts of
physical astronomy, as at present un-
derstood, seem to indicate that the in
habitants OF the solar system are col
lected upon the inner and smaller
planets, OF which the earth is the chief,
and that the outer and larger planets
like Jupiter and Saturn have not yet
reached an inhabitable condition
Some of the reasons, however, which
lead lis to think that Saturn is not an
inhabitable world do not apply to his
eight moons. If they have inhabitants,
a celestial scene unmatched so far as
we know in the whole universe is opened
to their view. This is particularly true
of the satellite which is furthest from
the planet, for its orbit is so inclined to
the plane of Saturn's equator that the
inhabitants. if there are any, behold
the great globe of the planet and the
be ore their eyes, and covering large
porto of the ornament.
''The truth is we are not very likely
TO find out whether Saturn supports any
inhabitants or not. At best we can
only ascertain whether the planet is in
condition which would make it inhabit-
able according to our ideas. But, in
habited or not, Saturn must possess great
interest for us. Distant as it is, it be-
longs to the same family of worlds with
our earth. The sun is carrying these
worlds along with it in its flight through
space, and, in a large sense, they all
have the same destiny. When we at
tempt to reach out into the universe
with our telescopes, we find it so incon-
ceivably immense that even the most
distant members of the solar system
seem like near neutrality-suspicious.
in our journey through space. If the
earth is ever to be destroyed, believe
its ruin will only be a small part of
grand catastrophe which will involve
the whole system of which the sun is
the center; and so we cannot entirely
separate ourselves from these other
worlds. We are not merely denizens of
world but of system of worlds. all
obeying the grayitating power of one
sun. Like sailors on a ship at sea who
gladly welcome the sight Of other ships
pursuing the same course, though they
can communicate with them only by
signals, we can derive a sense of COM
panionship, amid the vastness of the
universe, from the presence within the
range of our vision of other worlds
which we know are going along with
us in our illimitable voyage. IN 4
San.