The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1892-02-11
The Meeting Of Jupiter and
Venus.

brilliant planets Jupiter and
Venus. Outshining all the other
stars, they have added greatly TO
the beauty of the evening sky.
During the last week they con-
tnned to approach one another,
until on Saturday morning they
were so close that 10 The naked
eye they actually seemed blend
ed into one. Unfortunately the
hemisphere of the earth which
we inhabit was turned away
from the place they occupy in
the sky at that time, so that we
were unable TO witness this
interesting conjunction.
! The observer will notice al once
the unquesiionable superiority of
Venus 10 her giant brother in
bnlliancy- This, of course, is an
effect of distance, for although
apparently SO near together that
they almost touch, the two
planets are really more than four
hundred millions OF miles apart,
their conjunction in the sky
arising simply from the fact that
Venus, in swinging around It's
orbit, happens to come almost
exactly INTO the line of sight
from The earth toJupiier. Jupiter
is more than l 400 times as large
as Venus, and if it were really
placed side by side with Venus
would be at least 13O times as
bright as the latter is. In short
1t would resemble a small but
dazzling moon.
But il is only when one con-
siders what these two planets
are that he true interest of last
weeks celestial spectacle is de-
veloped. They represent respec-
lively The two great types or
groups into which the suns
family of worlds may be divided
The terrestrial group, whose
members, like The earth, are of
co comparatively moderate dImen-
sIons. while their surfaces have
become cool and encrusted with
a rocky rind on which a great
variety of life flonrishes, or may |
flouriSh-and the Jovian group,
10 adopt name from their great |
est representative. Jupiter, in
which a much earlier stage Of
planetary development evidently |
exists, so that their surfaces have
not yet cooled down or assumed |!
a permanent form. These half |
developed globes are all of gigan !
lie dimensions and low specific |
gravity.
During the past year Jupiter
has shown signs of tremendous
disturbance In The dense cloudy
atmosphere by which ii ia sur
rounded, and the fact has been
noted that such disturbances
npon Jupiter show q tendency
o coincidence with the return
'f the maximum sup-spot period.
Venus, loo, attracts particular
attention just now. because OF.
10 be made during It's
present visit TO our side of the
'un may settle the question that
las been raised az to The correct.
less of SchiapareiIi's conclusion,
less than two years
'go, that Venus always keeps
me side turned sunward. or
makes but one rotation on it's
'xis in the course ola revolution
'rOund the sun.
They are in every way a wond
rtul pair of planets which now
lttract all eyes to the sunset
ky.
The phemnoena just witnessed
will not again be seen by this
generation. The planets are ap-
,arently widening the distance
between them, caused by th g
llfferent rates of speed and posi-
ions in the planetary system.
To those ia Tored with Il look
t these far off worlds, wonder
al view was presented. Jupiter
With his four moons, and banded
ace; Venus with mountain
anges and dark caverns. ,
A Cleveland astronomer tells
IS that by calculation it is de
nonstrated that these planets
7ere in con junction at the time s
t the birth Of Christ and 10 the
ye of the magi was the star of
bethlehem.
Luetenant Totten, U. S.B. and
rofessor of Mathematics and
'actics. one OF the most learned
;holars of the day. asserts that
hose combinations or coDjunct-
ms of the planets have a mark
d influence npon the earth, its :
laterial composition and upon
he creatuers inhabiiing it. He
ties numerous periods Of earthly :,
. lamjtv Volcanic arnDt,ons