Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-06-19
THE LATEST NEWS FROM JUPITER.

on the surface of the planet Jupiter seven
years ago the astronomers were non-plussed.
The prince of planets had never worn quite
80 gorgeous decoration before. With it's
peculiar color--variously described as pur-
ple, pink, blood. red, and deep orange-and
its curious aureole Of a creamy hue, the spot,
covering an area about equal to the whole
surface of the earth, was plainly visible with
small telescopes, while with large glasses 1T
presented succession of interesting and
beautiful phenomena. The spot was in the
southern hemisphere of the planet, and the
astronomers were not long in discovering
that it took few minutes longer to COM
plete revolution around the planet than
did white spot which had in the meantime
made its appearance near Jupiter's equator.
So evidence was obtained that the visible
surface of this huge globe does not consist of
a solid shell like the earth's but that 1T is
either yaporous or liquid, and that it moves
with greater angular velocity at the equa-
tor than iu the middle ATTITUDES. 1t is just
as if upon the earth Mexico rotated faster
than the United States. Of course, no such
motion would be possible in a solid globe
unless it were sliced through in such way
that the different parts or disks could slide
past one another, an inadmissib)e supposi-
tiou in the case of planet.
But while the great spot was thus giving
clue to the constitution of Jupiter, surpris.
ing changes were noticed in its appearance.
Two or three years ago it quite suddenly
grew dim. Still it retained its regular rate
of rotation and its oval form. The obscura-
ton increased until only few observers,
armed with exceptionally powerful teles-
copes, were able to see it. Many drawings
of the planet made during the past year or
two show only blank space where the fiery
spot formerly existed.
But it is there yet, and lately still more
remarkable change has taken place. The
spot is now covered by huge white cloud
many millions of square miles in extent,
which, lying centrally over the red wonder
rim completely encrcling the edge of the
cloud. The concealing veil is shaped exact
ly like the spot underneath, but looks as if
it had been cut too small. IF the red spot
is a halfmolten mass thrust up from the
fiery bowels of the planet, the possible nu-
ceus and framework of a future continent,
as has been suggested, then the smoke of its
burning may have gradually gathered over it
thick enough to conceal it. If, on the other
hand, it is, as some think, merely cloud in
the planets atmosphere, possessing for some
unknown reason different color from sur
rounding vapors, then another cloud, no
less remarkable, has been suspended over
it-an astonishing display of meteorological
forces visible to US in the atmosphere of this
distant planet If, again-and this seems in
some respects the most probable hypothesis
of al-the red spot is merely part of the
crust of the planet revealed to our eyes by
the formation of an opening in its envelop-
ing cloud shell, then the forces that parted
the curtain and gave lis d glimpse OF the
unfinished world beneath have ceased to
operate, and the drifting vapors are shut.
ting the wonderful spectacle once more from
sight.
In any view, these gigantic phenomena,
visible in foreign planet across 40O, 100000
miles of open space, must possess absorbing
interest for all who love to carry their
thoughts occasionally beyond the narrow
boundaries of this little earth. The exist
ence of other worlds is no longer q mere
speculative question, as it once was. We
know that they are as real, as substantial,
as our own globe. There is as little excuse
for ignorance of the facts, that astronomers
have discovered aboutJupiter, Mars or Venus,
as thereis for not knowing what modern trav-
elers have learned of the interior of Africa or
the ice-bound approaches to hepole. These
other planets, however different they may
be from ours in respect to habitability or
| geological development, are worlds all the
same, and must henceforth be admitted into
the circle OF human interest. The light re-
lected from their surfaces, which are illu'
minated by the same sunshine that floods
our landscapes, carries to the astronomer,
with more than telegraphic speed, inteli-
gence of their condition and their changes.
In the case of such phenomena as those that
Jupiter now presents there can hardly be
doubt taat we are witnesses of what no
human eye could ever have beheld upon
our own planet-the development of a
world out of chaos. With our telescopes
we can see, as it were, the future globe OF
Jupiter glowing under the shaping hammer
of the Almighty World-smitb, and detect
the imprint of the blows that are slowly
fashioning the grandest planet of our system
out of the cooling mass of an extinguishing
sum-. Y. Sun.
The London Standard, in an article on the re-
cent rayages by locusts in Roumanla, says
again and again the various species have
wrought dire havoc wherever their wanderlngs
oil IL