The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-27
EARTH'S TWIN SISTER
Wonderful Discovery Recently Made BY
an Italian Astronomer.
Venus Turns but Once on Its Axis In
Revolution Around the Sun,
Hence One Side Enjoys Per-
petual Day.
sig. sCHIApRELLI, the Italian

wonderful discoveries among the
planets than all the other stronomers of
u day put together, has just furnished n
lei surprise, says the New York Sun,
greater even than his recent discovery
that mercury performs only one rotation
In the course Of a revolution around the
sun. He now asserts that Venus, the
brightest Of all the planets that we see,
the twin sister of the earth, which In at
present glowing with nightly increasing
splendor in the west after shutdown, also
turns but once on its axes in the course of
n revolution around the sum-. In other
words there is no alteration of day and
night on Venus, as on the earth. The
planet enjoys perpetual day on one side
of its globe, while the other side il
plunged in amending night.
Astronomers have heretofore believed
that the time of Venus axial rotation cor
respond almost exactly with that OF the
earth's, namely, "a hours. This was sup
posed to have been established by noting
the return of the spots visible on Venus TO
a similar position night after night; hut
Schiaparelli shows hat some of these OBJ
servations nave probably been misinter-
preted, and that instead Of indicating a
rotation period OF "a hours they rather
confirm his conclusion that the rotation Is
performed i'm 224.1 days, which is the time
the planet takes to complete "a revolution
around the sun. or, In other words, Is the
length of Venus year. Venus is about61,-
100000 miles from the sun, and its orbit Is
more nearly "A circle than that OF any
other planet. II follows that there is very
little variation in the mount of solar heat
falling upon Venus at different periods of
its year. Schiaparelli says the axis of ro-
tation is nearly perpendicular to the plane
OF the orbit. III that is so. Venus has no
diversity of seasons such as the earth en-
joys. Its equator forever burns with
the ardent heat of an unending sum-
mer, and its polar regions undergo no
change of temperature. lnasmuch AS
Venus receives almost twice as much light
and heat from the sun In ~onscquenc of
it's greater proximity, as the earth gets, IL
must be pretty hot In the equatorial re-
gions on that side Of the planet which per-
| petually faces the solar ~urnace.
Ifwhat the great Italian observer says
about Venus rotation Is true, then the adj
| ditional fact announced by him that the
planets axis is perpendicular to the plane
OF its orbit seems almost "A providential
provision of nature, for In that way il is
rendered possible for the polar regions
to enjoy a comparatively mild climate, al
though the equator and the spaces cores
ponding to our tropical u temperate
zones may blaze with uncomfortable heat.
III the axis OF Venus were inclined like
that Of the earth, the consequent varia-
ton Of seasons would plunge h poles
alternately into a day Of fierce sunshine
enduring for seven weeks and a frosty
night OF equal duration. The result would
be that life under such forms as il assumes
upon our globe would probably be impos-
sible anywhere on the surface OF Venus.
for the sunward side OF the planet would
be scorched while the night side was
frozen. But II. as Schiaparelli's observa-
ions indicate, the poles Of n are not
tipped now u aud now the other toward
the sun, but remain upright at right an
giles TO the direction Of the sun. then in
their neighborhood the heat may be tenn
pered Just as il il at the polls Of the earth,
the solar rays. OF course the cold. being
unbroken, may be very intense Just
around the poles themselves, and Ia fac,
within n few years past white spots have
been discerned on Venus about where the
poles would ne situated according a.
S~chlaparelli's idea; and these spots may
he caused by accIRnulations Of snow and
ice there. But ia somewhat lower lati.
tudcs an agreeable mean might he found
between the consuming heat 81 the equa'
tor and the glacial chill OF the poles. TIL,
imagination may not go tar astray i'm pie
turing these intermediate zones, on Ia,
sunward side of the planet, as the seen,
OF activities corresponding To those thai
mark the human occupation of the in
habitable parts OF the earth. To be sur,
the inhabitants OF even these favored
regions of Venus could not enjoy the
agreeable interchange Of day and night
but would be p~erpetually shone upon b,
the sun but even here there are indica
tions that nature may have provided a
least "a partial compensation. All tele
SCOPE observations of Venus testify Z,
the binding brilliancy Of its surface; an,
the most reasonable hypothesis yet pm
forth To for this phenomenon h
the existence of an extraordinary amour
Of cloud In its atmosphere. Anybody VIII,
has watched a sun-illumined cloud knowi
how s~plendidly il reflects the light. and %
course in looking nj the clouds 81 anotheI
planet we can practically see only thci
sunny side.
II, then, as appearances indicate
Venus atmosphere is largely filled witt
clouds, the effect would he too screen Of
the superabundant sunshine and perhaps
render perpetual daylight far less obnox
Gus than we might, at first sight bc dis
posed to regard il. There il reasons 70
thinking hat the atmospere Of Venus !.
most abundant. Its depth has been cal
culated to exceed that of the earth b!
about one-third, although Venus j.
slightly smaller planet thar ours. Tn
existence OF watery vapor in this atmos
plere has been clearly established h,
s~psctroscopic examinations. OF the ex
; istcnce of oceans on Venus we know
nothing by direct observation, but, since
the planet possesses AN atmosphere an'
clouds. II is not unreasonable "a conclud
that IL must have oceans capable OF sup
plying the needed vapor.
! In regard TO that half Of the globe q
! Venus which, according to S~chiaparelli, ]
: always TURNED away from the SUM-. il Is im
possible to say anything that is not of
! speculative character. and yet the sub1ec
: is most attractive. We have something
! partially equivalent upon the earth durinI
, the long arctic aud antarctic nights. an
we know that life can exist Tor a time q
; least even under such conditions. But
j. hardly reasonable TO conclude, argulu
from purely terrestrial analogIes. that th
: uuilluminateI side Of Venus can posses