Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-12-05
JuPIrER.s WONDERS.
Remark able Character OF Recon
Discoveries.

Remark able Character OF Recent
Discoveries.
Astronomers have of late been max
ing some exceedingly interesting dis
coverieS about the huge planet Jupiter,
so says the N. Y. Sun. which is now
visible in the evening sky. When we
are thinking about worlds it is just as
well to think of Jupiter, for that is
globe worth bordering over. Thirteen
hundred times us large as this big
earth OF ours and illuminated by four
obedient moons, Jupiter has uncom-
mon claims to consideration. But 1t is
not 30 much the gigantic size of that
wonderful planet as the extraordinary
appearances and occurrences upon its
surface that command particular at
tention ut present
Most readers know that when Jult-
ter is looked at with u telescope GER
tain bands, or belts, are seen extend
ing in parallel lines across its disk.
We ordinarily see the great planet
thus represented in illustrated books
of astronomy. 1t is among these bolts
OF Jupiter that the astronomers have
observed some very surprising things.
The most conspicuous belts lie on
either side of the planets equator, in
what upon the earth we should call the
tropical ATTITUDES. Jupiter's equator,
however, is so slightly inclined from
the plane OF his orbit that his tropical
circles do not extend as far north and
south as the belts lie. The first ex-
PLANTATION that naturally occurs to the
observer who watches these belts Is
that they must be enormous bands
of cloud encircling the giant planet
on each side OF its equator II he has
powerful telescope and patient
mind he discovers that changes OF form
and position occur In the belts, which
stregthen the probability that they
are composed OF clouds. The various
colors that they show, and in particular
the prevailing red tint which charac-
terizes the largest belts, may excite
wonder "a to the nature and condition
OF masses of vapor that could present
such an appearance. but upon the
whole there seems to be nothing to
seriously discredit the idea that the
greater number OF these phenomena
really are clouds.
And now we come to the most SUR
prising facts. 1t is evident that tre-
mendous current is continually sweep
ing right around the huge globe OF
Jupiter over its equatorial regions.
The cloud belts are all in motion, but
not all with the same velocity. The
nearer they are TO the equator the
faster they move. The observations
81 NJ. Gtan1av WIFI ~
show that in the north temperate zone
there is broad light band enoircling
the planet which may possibly be- the
actual surface of Jupiter's globe. By
comparing the rate OF motion OF cloud.
like objects seen in this region with
that OF the adjacent cloud belt it is
found that the latter Is moving much
more swiftly. The general period oil
Jupiter's rotation upon its axis, not
withstanding the enormous size OF the
planet, appears DO be little short oil
ten hours But the equatorial clouds
go around in about nine hours and fifty
minutes. while the clouds 30' north
and south OF the equator require five
minutes longer TO complete circuit
In other words, the equatorial part o
the atmosphere appears TO be flowing
past the regions on either side OF III al
the rate of some 240 miles an hour
This, as VI. Flammarion has remarked
is incomparably faster than the most
violent cyclone upon the earth. And
this gigantic current OF wind, il sc
it my be called. forms a perpetual
hurricane blowing around Jupiter n!
,unremittingly rs our trade winds but
with inconceivable power and energy
THE result of the varying velocities
with which adjacent portions OF the
Jovian atmosphere appear to move
should naturally be the formation o.
enormous whirling storms, and lorna
docs of incredible fury.