The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-30
BIGGEST OF THE PLANETS
COMPARED TO JUPITER oUREARrH
Is BUT a MERE ePRCK.

- BUT q MERE EPRCK
The Colossal Sphere Has Diameter n,
$4,000 Miles and It's Year Consists
of 4,332 Days-The Central Orb "a
Probably Not as Yet Inhabited bv
Intelligent Beings.
From the Paris Figaro.
Ofall the floating islands which cornposs
the celestial archipelago to which the earth
belongs. the planet consecrated from the
Temotest ages to Jupiter the mighty, kings
Of gods and men, is the vastest. the most
important, and the most majestic. saws
Camille Flammarion, the French astrouo-
mlcal writer. This colossal world OF jupiter
has diameter of about IS, 600 miles, which
surpasses that of our earth by more than
eleven times
The circumference Of Jupiter's world at
the equator is about 275, coo miles The vol
ume Of this giant exceeds that of the earth
by 1884 times. This immense globe seen at
the distance at which we are situated from
the moon would appear to US with diame>
ter about forty times larger than that of
our satellite, and the surface Of its disk
would embrace on the celestial vauit an az
tent 900 greater than that of the fnII
moon. This giant of the worlds travels
through space accompanied by retinue of
four satellites as a mean distance of 1876 Co.,
900 miles from the sun, which is I've times
greater than that OF the earth from the
same.
Its orbit is more than 1000 OOO. 600 miles
in extent. and through this it passes in 4. 332
days, or eleven years, ten months aud seven
teen days. Such is the year of this immense
globe. In order to complete its entire orbit
during this period it speeds around the sun
with velocity OF ZOO 600 miles a day, or a
little more than eight miles second. This
is a little less than half the velocity of the
earth on its orbit. But it revolves on its
axis with very great swiftness, for its day
and night combined only last about nine
hours and tifty-five minutes In other
words, the Inhabitants of Jupiter enjoy only
five hours OF real day. twilight included.
I'll" says Kant ian inhabitant OF Jupiter
should die in childhood, having lived but
one year on that planet, he would be "a old
as child who should die on our globe at
the age Of IL years and 3l4 days The ter
restrial child would have lived about 1O3,-
1868 of Jupiter days, and the child on Jupi-
ter 40O, 329 Of the earths daysn
1t is probable that this globe, although
created before the earth, has preserved its
pristine heat much longer by reason of Its
volume and mass. Is this characteristic
ifestations OF lief And is this globe still at
the present time not in the state Of a lumi-
nous star, but in the condition of q dark and
burning one, entirely liquid or scarcely COW
cred with first-hardened crust, as
the earth wes before life be-
gan to appear on its surfacel Or,
indeed. is this celestial planet in
that condition of temperature through
which our own world passed through the
primary period of its geological epochs,
when life began to show Itself under strange
forms, as animal and vegetable beings of
astonishing vitality, and the commissions
and tempeSts of tho newborn world! The
last is the most rational conclusion that we
eau draw from the most recent and exact
observations to which we are indebted for
what we know of the present state of this
vast world.
Whether Jupiter be inhabited now,
whether it was yesterday, or whether il will
be tomorrow is of little consequence to the
grand, eternal philosophy of nature. Life
is the object Of its foundation, as it was the
object of the earth's formation. Therein is
everything The moment, the hour. is of
little account Doubtless the planet may
now be inhabited by beings different from
us, living perhaps in an aerial condition in
the upper regions of its atmosphere, above
the fogs and vapor of the lower strata,
feeding on the aerial fluid itself, resting on
the wind like the eagle in the tempest, and
ever dwelling in the upper nights Of the
Jovian heavens.
That would not be disagreeable abode,
although an anti-terrestrial one. Indeed,
it would be like the abode of old Jupiter
Olympus and his court. But il we do not
wish, in our conception of life, to stray too
far from the borders of the terrestrial
cradle there is nothing TO prevent us from
waiting until the planet has become cool
like our own and enjoys purified atmos-
phere which will permit its being compared
with the earth. And what would be better
prepared to be the abode of superior lifeg
1t is the preponderaut globe Of the whole
solar family, the vastest in surface, the most
important as regards mass, the most
favored through the position Of its axis the
most uniform in its course, rich in the pos
session of four satellites and throned like
chief amid the planetary orbits. What
marvellous conditions are prepared In this
abode for the development OF life, intelll-
gence and happinessl All, how much
superior will such humanity be TO ours
Happy shores of Jupiterl You will not
know the distresses and sorrows at which
the unhappy countries of our earth are still
shuddering. You will not be motstened
with the blood Of martyrs, which has been
30 many times shed here in the name of 30
many contradictory gods You will not bear
cally slaughter each other at the order Of
few infamous potentatesl You will not be
defiled by the crimes that hunger. ambi-
ton or pride is committing every day here
below. But you will prepare in the heavens
the united states of an immense republic,
blessed of the creator, floating calmly in
the luminous ether, bathed in the tepid
temperature of an eternal spring, without
winter and without summer, and slowly
growing in the breast of peace and harmony
toward a state of perfection which our i'm
perfect and miserable little planet will never
approach.
Ii is impossible for us to imagine that the
existence of the stars can have any other OBJ
ject than that of receiving or giving life.
Lifel Such is the grand object which we see
shining in the destinies of the creation. The
absence of life is to US a synonym for death
and nothingness. Our logic refuses to be-
lieve that the millions of SUNS which are
burning in infinite space are OF no use and
they neither tllumiue, warm nor govern
anything. And, if they are useful for some-
thing for us, this something" is life, under
whatever form 1t may be, from the simplest
blade of grass up to the highest, most IN
telligent, most powerful mind. This decia-
ration, which is forced upon US by our logic,
is also the declaration OF entire nature,
whose unlimited fecundity has sown lie
around on every spot capable of receiving
IT.; whose singular foresight gives things
and beings even double and multiple pur-