Nevada County picayune., 1890-07-02
THE RINGS OF SATURN.
Information About the Mysterious Alp
 .l- |.

Information About the Mysterious Ap-
 pendagez of the Great Planet.
 The chief interest in Saturn centers upon it's mysterious ring, or rather rings, for large telescope shows tha. there are several of them lying one within another. Indeed, the exact number of these rings is still point of discussion among astronomers. A main division, known from it's discoverer as ''CassindIs division" has long been known to exist. and may be seen, in- deed, with a telescope of quite moderate power But beside this division the ex- istence of others has been announced from time to time. One of these. known as "Encke's division" separating the outer ring into two, is represented on most ot the drawings of saturn; but in recent times its existence has re epeatedly been called in question.
 Observers using the finest instru- ments have declared their inability to see it, and 1t has been omitted from some Of the more recent drawings. Bond, on the other hand, in a drawing made from observations with the fine Cam bridge telescope, depicted not only Encke's division. but number of Oth- CTS, which no other observer has been able to sec; and a new division is an- nounced to have been discovered with the Lick telescope. The most plausible explanation of this discrepancy in the testimony of so many reputable wit nesses k, that these minor divisions arc not permanent features of the ring, but are temporary and shifting in their nature, for it is now generally con- coded, as the only admissible theory, that this strange appendage of Saturn, solid as it looks through a telescope, is really but dense mass of meteor-like bodies each of which rcvolve. as a minute satellite, on it's orbit about the planet.
 Besides this double or multiple bright ring, which has been known since the time of Calico. it's discoyerer, recent drawings of saturn show a third and in- terior ring, always represented as faint as possible, but never sufficiently faint, which is known as the "crapc" or "gauzc" ring. Tho discovery of this feature of saturn Is one of the most in- tercsting and, on some accounts, the most remarkable, discovery which has been made of late years with the tele- scope, It was made independently in 1850 by the Bonds, at the Cambridge Observatory, and by the Rev. MT Dawes in England It is curious fact that, although to detect this object in the first instance required telescope, of tho first order. II has ever since been visible with instruments of quite moderate power. Illustrating how easy it is 10 miss of seeing a faint object which is really quite perceptible when one knows of its existence. The Bonds examined this suspected object on several sue cessive nights before they felt confident of their discovery, yet good six-inch telescope will at times show it distinct ly, as the writer can himself testify. It is thought by some astronomers that, although this inner ring is probably not an altogether new feature of saturn, for there is some evidence that it was seen by HerschcI, who however, failed to de- teetits true eharactcr-it is increasing in brilliancy, as if it were receiving new material by gradual subsistence upon it of matter from the external rings. Indeed, Prof Struve has expressed the opinion. based upon careful examina- tiOn of the measurements and drawings of saturn made by the older astronom- CTS, that the whole system of tho rings has undergone perceptible change within the period of tclcscopic observa- tions, and that their margin is now nearer than formerly to the planet. The public has waited impatiently for the as- tonishing discoveries which it was ex- pcctcd would be made by the monster Lick telescope whom turned upon the moon and the planets. This fine instru. ment has had so many demands made upon it that it seems thus far to have been used upon these objects only in desultory way. still it has been Hsed in at least one instance as check upon observations made with less powerful instruments. Not long since the an. nouncCmcnt came across from Germany that a certain remarkable white spot had been discovered upon the ring of saturn indicating that some change, which would not fail to be of great in- torest, was taking place. Several as- tronomCrs hastcned to confirm the dis covcrv. But when the Lick telescope was turncd upon the planet nothing of the sort could be seen; and yet this powerful instrument showed other de- tails that no other telescope could de- tect.-Philadclphia Press.