Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-07-12
THE RINGS or SATURN.


The chief interest in Saturn centars
upon its mysterious ring, or rather I
rings, for large telescope shows that [
there are several of them lying one /
within another. Indeed. the exact |
number o. these rings Is still point OF |
discussion among astronomers main
division, known from its discoyerer as
"Cassindis division" has long been
known to exist, and may be seen, in
deed. with a telescope of quite moderate
power. Hut beside this division the ex
istence Of others has been announced
from time 10 time. One OF these. known
as "Eneke's division" separating the
outer ring into two, is represented on
most OF the drawings of Saturn; but In
recent times It's existence has repeatedly
been called in question.
Observers using the finest instru.
ments have declared their inability 10
/ see il, and Ii has been omitted from
some Of the more recent drawings. Bond.
/ on the other hand. in drawing made
| from observations with the fine Cam
bridge telescope, depicted not only
Encke's division. but number Of 9th.
ers, which no other observer has been
able TO see; and 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 in, that these minor divisions are
not permanent features OF the ring. but
are temporary and shifting in their
nature, for it is now generally con
ceded. as the only admissible theory,
that this strange appendage Of Saturn,
solid as it looks through telescope, is
really but dense mass OF meteor II ke
bodies, each OF which revolve, az a
minute satellite, on its orbit about the
planet.
Besides this double or multiple bright
ring, which has been known since the
/ time OF Galileo, its discoyerer, recent
drawings OF Saturn show a third and in
terror ring. always represented as faint
as possible, but never sufficiently faint,
; which is known as the Grape" OF
'gauke" ring. The discovery Of this
feature OF Saturn is one of the most In
, tercsting and, on some accounts, the
most remarkable, discovery which la,
) boon made OF late years with fho tele
, scope. IL was made Independently In
, 1880 by the Bonds. at the Cambridge
Observatory, and by the Rev. Mr.. Dawes
! in England. II il curious fact that
. although TO detect this object in th'
: first instance required telescopes OF th'
: first order, II has ever since been yisibl,
with instruments OF q quite moderate
4 power illustrating how easy IL is I,
I miss VI seeing a faint object which i
!. really quite perceptible when one know
I OF It's existence. The Bonds examine,
! this suspected object on several sue
I cessiye nights before they felt contiden
. | of their discovery, yet good siX-inc
\ telescope will at times show IL distinct
: ly as the writer can himself testify.
a is thought by some astronomers tha
i although this inner ring is probably ne
an altogether new feature of Saturn, fo
there is some evidence that IL was see
by Hcrschel, who. however, failed 10 d,
tectits true echaracter-it is increasing /
brilliancy. as If IL were receiving ne
material hy a gradual subsidenee upo
y il of matter from the external ring
q Indeed. Prof Struye has expressed tii
opinion, based upon a careful eNAmin'
tion of the measurements and draSinp
u of Saturn made by the older asironon
u ers, that the whole system OF the ring
u has undergone q percsptible chang
y within the period OF selescopie obsery
u tions, and that their margin Is no
Y nearer than formerly to the planet. tt
Z public las waited impatiently for the II
'f tontshing discoveries which 1t was e
D. pected would be made by the monsti
Lick TELESCOPES when turned upon II
q moon aud the planets. This fine instr
y ment has had 50 many demands mar
II npon II that IL seems thus far to ha,
:, been used upon these objects only in
ls desultory way. Still IL has been nss
Ie in at least one instance as check upS
n observations made with less powerf
Ie instruments. Not long since the a
7 nouncement came across from German
ID that certain remarkable white sp,
le had been discovered upon the ring
y Saturn indicating that some chang
which would not fail to be of great Il
:, terest. was taking place. Several a
'a tronomers hasfened TO confirm the di
la eoyers But snen the Lick telescol
y was turned upon the planet nothing
y the sort could be seen: and yet tn
powerful instrument showed other
y tails that no other telescope could d
ie tect. Philadelphia Press.