The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-12-27
The GOiossus Among wOrds.

From the New York sun.
Jupiter, the greatest world IN the
solar system. planet in comparison
with which the earth is as a crah APP
pie to pumpkin, is just now the most
conspicuous celestial object alter the
sun and the moon. Venus is brighter,
but she sets so early that her big
brother pr .ctically has the Il Id To
himself, and he shines among the
lesser lights of the armament like an
alderman's diamond at ball. Jupiter
is we'll up in the southeastern heavens
by 8 O'Clock, and to find him 1T is only
necessary TO look for the brightest
star then visible. His light is yellow
ish and steady. while Sirius, the
only star which could possibly be mis-,
taken for Jupiter, on account OF ITS
brilllancy, shines with 4 dazzling
white light. in which shifting rainbow
hues may at times be seen. 1t is TN.
steadIneSS CT JupIter's light wnIrh
reveals at once co the practiced ey t.
his planetary nature. Turn sptrt-
rOscope upon him. and Immediately
the familiar lines which characterize
sunlight are seen. IL is a thought
calculated to give vivid concep. ION
of the magnificent scale on which THE
solar sS stem is constructed, that, al
though between four and live hundred
million miles from the earth, Jupiter
Is so brilliantly illu minated by the
sun that he shines like a star IN the
depths of space.
But it is when viewed with good
telescope that Jupiter is most inter
eStlng, and just now he is not ONLY
Well situated for stelescopic Stay,
but Is undergoing wonderful I.hysica.
changes which manifest themselves
i'll the appearance of his surface. Th,
great red spot has faued into gray
lSh spot, which is only visible al
times, and which is surrounded by d
peculiar aureola. This wonderful
spot, which suddenly appeared in 1878
ike continent of red-hot rock thrust
up through the ocean OF dense yapurs
surrounding the giant planet, bes al
TO lose its fiery color a year ago, and d
veil seemed to be drawn over it which
grew thicker until only GLIMPSE
OF the red color could be caught
shining dlmly through ii superincum
bent mass of yapor. Even yet per
severing observers, armed with large
telescopes, report that the fading REQ
spot Can occasionally be seen; and ::
small telescope will show plainly III,
small indentatiOns in the great souti
belt of Jupiter, opposite the place
where the red spot Was. An idea oi
the extensive scale of natures opera
lions on Jupiter may be formed from
The fact that the red spot was no les,
than 10000 miles l,ng and 5000 or 7OOU
broad. Ii has beGn thought a very
wonderful thing that small lSlanG
sank ont of sight during the volcani,
disturbance in java last August: but
ii two thirds of the whole area of tht
United States should sink into tins
bowels OF the earth, the Surfact
change would be comparatively NO
greater than that wrong hit by the dis
appearance OF the red spot on Jupiter.
The belts of Jupiter have of late been
changing not only in color, but Ill
form, number and arrangement, and
their varying aspects furnish an emu
less source OF interest to the student
with telescope.
Other phenomena of JupiJer'S Sys-
TEN which CAN now be well observed
are the JransItS of his moons across
his disk. The observer sees one of to-
little moons approaching the plan' l.
Long before it reaches it d round
black spot appears upon the edge OF
the shining disk and advances slowly
across 1T. This is the shadow OF the
satellite, and 10y fixing the position OF
the sun in his mind tht observer will
perceive that straight line drawn
from the black spot on Jupiter
through the little moon would just
hit the sun; consequently, whenever
that black spot appears on Jupiter the
sun is ecllpsed. after time he will
see the satellite itself pass across Ju-
pliers disk as round light
gray spot, beautifully contrasted
with its jet-black shadow. AS Jupi-
ter has tour moons, and they revolve
very rapidly around him, tn, 50 phe-
nomena are of frequent occurrence.
rhe great. planet also roJates so
swiftly on its axis that during sin
gle evening the observer may behold
its huge globe turn half way round,
and. ii he chooses to remain at tn
telescope all night, he may witness
a complete rotation of Jupi er on its
axis, SO that d spot on the planet
equator which he saw at 8 o'clock in
the evening will again be visible in
the same place at about 6 o'clock in
the morning. having in ten hours
madea circuit of 10000 milesl
What a tremendous machine is the
solar system!