The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-01
THE PLANETS.
A. Few Facts OF Interest About
the Earth's Neighbors.
Points About Venus, Mars, Mercury, Jupi-
ter, Saturn and the Rest.

Venus, SO well known tt us all as the
loveliest object in the heavens, the even
ing and the morning star, resembles
closely our own earth. It's size is almost
the same, its diameter being 7, $50; its
day is almost the same length.
and its density is rather less than five
times that of water. 1t revolves round
the sur at a distance of go, 00O,O 900 miles
in the space of 224 days. Like Mercury,
however, Venus is moonless. Passing
the earth in the meantime. we come to
the well known planet Mars. This plan.
ct is particularly interesting in many
points of view. Next to Mercury it is
the smallest of the four interior planets.
its diameter being only 1900 miles, or
little more than half that of the Earth OF
Venus. Its distance from the sun is
141, 000, 900 miles, and it completes its cir.
cult in 6S7 days. The length of its days
does not differ materially from that OF
our own. Mars has two moons, and one
of them presents "a phenomenon unique in
the system. No other moon behaves like
this one, for it goes round Mars about
three times everyaaay; that is to say, it
goes faster round Mars than Mars does on
its own axis. Imagine u moon rising
and setting three times every t%wenty-four
hours. Another interesting feature in
Mars is this; we can see through our tele.
scopes what seems to be the configura-
ton of its continents and oceans and also
accumulation of snow at its poles.
We next turn our attention to the 9th.
CT group of planets Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus and Nepture. These are distin-
guished by their enormous size, immense
distance from the sun, rapid revolution
on their own axis, and very small density.
The change from Mars to Jupiter is in
deed remarkable. The latter planet,
| familiar to every observer of the heavens,
is indeed a giant among giants. In mass
it is equal to all the other planets put
together, its diameter being no less than
| IS, 900 miles, and its distance from the
sun 6s2, 900, 900 miles. 1t takes 1889
days to complete its yearly revolution.
Although of such enormous dimensions,
it turns on its own axis in less than ten
hours. From the small density (1.38) Of
Jupiter, we should imagine it to be com
posed, in great part at least, of fluid O
gaseous matter not yet coo led sufficiently
to form solid land. From certain phe
nomena on it's surface, it is evident that il
is almost completely enveloped in clouds,
and it is doubtful if we have ever actual
" seen the real solid muscles of this plan
ct. Jupiter is attended by four moons
which revolve round him at various dis
tances. The study of these bodies is OF
great interest; FROM watching their move
ments we got the first hint of the v~elocit,
Of light. Next in order in our outward
Journey comes Saturn, at the distance o
sS4, 900, 900 miles from the sun, and tax
ing no less than 10. 759 days to complet
its revolution round that luminary
This planet, though less than Jupiter, i
still Of gigantic dimensions, its diamete
being II, 600 miles. Saturn is the light
est Of all the planets, its density beini
only 0.75, Sc that if placed in a hug
ocean it would float with a fourth of it
bulk above the level of the water. TIL
most remarkable thing, however, abou
this planet is the system OF rings b
which it is surrounded. What thes
rings are has long been a puzzle to as
tronomers, but the most plausible expla
nation seems to be that they are compose
of myriad hosts of small meteoric bodi'
circulating at some distance round tt
body of the planet. Saturn has no lie
|, than eight moons under its control, an
if it has any inhabitants like ourselves
which is not likely, hoWever-the hea
ems must be a strange sight to them, wit
these eight moons and meteoric swarm
noee1T3o Mao1zsue