The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1886-05-06
SCIENCE.
The Planets.

Venus, 50 we'll known to us all as
the loyellest object in the heavens,
the evening and morning star, re-
sembles closely our own earth. Its
size is almost the same, its diameter
being Z 900 miles; its day is aim ost the
same length, and its density is rather
less than five times that of Wa ter. 1t
revolves found the sun ut Il distance
of $4,000. 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 planet is
particularly interesting in many
points of view. Next to Mercury it
is the smallest of the four interior
planets, it's diameter being only 1920
miles, or little more than half that
of the Earth or Venus. Its distance
from the sun is al 100000 miles, and
and it completes its circuit 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 Il phenomenon
unique in the system. No other
moon behaves like this one, for it
goes around Mars about three times
every day; that is to say, it goes
faster round Mars than Mars does on
its own axis Imagine our moon ris-
ing and setting three times every
twenty-four hours. Another inter
esting feature in Mars is this; we
can see through our telescopes what
seems'to be the confguration of it's
continents and oceans and also ac-
emulation of snow at its poles.
We next turn our attention to the
other group of planet-Jupiter, Sat
urn, Uranus and Neptune. These
are distinguished by THAR enormous
size, immense distance from the sun,
rapid revolution on their axis, and
very small density. The change
from Mars to Jupiter is indeed res,
markable. The latter planet, famil.
lar 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 $1,000 miles, and
its distance from the sun 82,0OO, 900
miles. 1t takes 1882 days to COM
plete its yearly revolution. AL
though of such enormous dimen.
sions, it turns on its own axis in less
than ten hours. From the small
density { 1897 of Jupiter, we should
imagine it to be composed, in great
part at least, of fluid or gaseous mat
ter nor yet cooled sufficiently to form
solid laad. From certain phenomena
on its surface it is evident that it is
almost completely enveloped in
clouds, and it is doubtful if wc have
ever actually seen the real solid mus
cles of this planet. Jupiter is at
tended by four moons, which revolve
round him at various distances. The
study of these bodies is of great in
terest; from watching their m owe.
ment we got the FIRST hint of the We
locity of light. Next in order in our
outward journey comes Satrun, at
the distance of S84,OO0,000 miles
from the sun, and taking no less than
1O,759 days to complete its revolution
round that luminary. This
planet, though less than Jupiter, is
still of gigantic dimensions, its di-
arneter being 1900 miles. Saturn
is the iightest of all the planets. its
density being only 0.75, so that if
placed in huge ocean it would float
with fourth of its bulk above the
level of the water. The most re-
markabIe thing. however, about this
planet is the system of rings by which
1t is surrounded. What these rings
are has long been puzzle to astron-
mers, but the most plausible exp:a-
natien seems to be that they are
composed Of myriad hosts of small
meteoric bodies circulating at some
distance rouLd the body OF the
planet. Saturn has no less than
eight moons under its control, and il
it has any inhabitants like ourselves
which is not likely, however-the
heavens must he strange sight to
them, with these eight moons and
rhetoric swarms.