St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-04-12

I L
the action Of the majority of the com.
mittee. The minority willpresent theil
| views later.
JUPITER.
The Colossus Among Worlds.
New York SUM-
Jupiter, the greatest world in the
solar system, a planet in comparison
with which the earth is as q crabapple
TO pumpkin, is just now the most CON
spicnous celestial object after the sun
ard moon. Venus is brighter, but she
sets So early thar her big brother prac-
tically has the field to himself, aud he
shines among the lesser lights of the
ornament likean aldernan's diamond
at a ball. Jupiter is well up in the
southwestern heavens by 8 O'clock, and
to ind him it is only necessary to look
for the brightest star then visible. His
light is yetlOwisll and steady, while ST.
ri us, the only star which could be mis-
taken for Jupiter, on account of its bril-
llancy, shines with a dazzling white
light, in which shifting rainbow hues
ness of Jupiter's light which reveals at
once to the practiced eye his planetary
nature. Turn spectrOscoDe uDOn him.
and imediately the familiar lines which
characterize sunlight are seen. It
is thought calculated to give a vivid
conception of the significant scale on
which the solar system is constructed
that, although between 4G0,000,000 and
5O0,000,OO0 miles from the earth, Jupiter
is so brilliantly illuminated by th e sun
that ne shines like a stariin the depths
of space.
But it is when viewed with good
telescope that Jupiter is most interest,"
ing, and inst now he is not only well
situated for telescope study, but is
undergoing wonderful physical chan ges
which manifest themselves in the APP
pearance of his surfaces. The great red
spot has faded to grayish spot which is
only visible at times, and which is
by peculiar aureola. This
wonderful spot, which suddenly an
peared in 1878 like continent Of red
hot rock thrust up through The ocean
of dense vapors surr1antling the giant
planet, began to lose its fiery color of a
year ago, and a veil seemed to be drawn
over it which grew thicker until only
glimpses of the red color could be
caught shining dinly as if though a
mass of vapOr. Even
yet preserving observers, armed with
large telescopes, report that the fading
red spot can occasionally be seen, and a
small telescope will show plainly the
lndentatiOns in the great south
9elt OF Jupiter, opposite the place where
the RED spot was. An idea of the ex-
tenslye scale of natures operations on
Jupiter. may be formed from the fact
gaat th6red spot was no less than 3O.-
JU0 miles long and 5000 or 1000 miles
broad. 1t has been thought very
thing that small island
sank out OF sight during the volcanic
disturbance In Java last August: but il
5wo-thlrds OF the whole area of the UNI
ed States should sink into the the bowls
u the earth, the surface change would
Oe comparatively no greater than tlIaf
wrought by the disappearance of the
ed spot on Jupiter. The belts of Jupi-
'er nave OF late been changing not only
2 colors but IN form, number and ar
,,angement, and their varying aspects
;ufnlsh au endless interest to the stu-
lent with telescope.
Other phenomena of Jupiter's system
Fhlcn can now be well observed are tha |
IL ,Tanslts OF his moons across his disk, I
Inc observer sees one of the little I
moons approaching the planet, Long /
leIOfe lt reaches it a round black spot I
appears upon the edge of the shining
tIsk and advances slowly across if,
Lhls IS the shadow of the satellite. and
,y flxlng the nosition of the sun in his
mud tile observer will perceive That 4
Gralgnt llne drawn from the black
pot on Jupiter through the little moon
yould just hlt the sun; consequently
Fhere ever that black spot appears on
.nplter the sun is eclipsed. After a
lme ne will see the satellite itself pass
cross Jupiter's disk as round, light
.fey spot, beautifully contrasted with
Us Jet black shadow. As Jupiter has
our oi moons, and they revolve very rap
ialy around him, these phenomena are
very frequent occurrence. The
reaU planet also r0tates SO swiftly on
;s axis that during a single evening |
ne observer may behold its huge globe
armed half way round, and # he'll
moose foreman at the telescope all
lght, ne may witness a cnmplete rota- Fl
on OF Jupiter on its axis, SO that a
pot on the plants equator which he Il
wy at 8 o'clock in tile evening will
gain be visible in the same place at {
oout O'Clock in the morning having
ten hours made circle of 27O, 600 !
lilies N'0'S0o
What tremendous machine il the /
olar system.
4 An Irishnan, recently brought before !.