The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-01
Tho Meeting Of Jupiter and Venus.

Everybody must have noticed during the
past few weeks the gradual drawing to-
uether Of the brilliant planets Jupiter and
Venus. Outshining all the other stars.
they have added greatly to tho beauty OF
the evening sky. During the present week
thew will continue to approach one another.
until on Saturday morning they will be 80
close that to the naked eye they will actu-
ally seem blended into one. Unfortunately
the hemisphere OF the earth which we In
habit will be turned away from the place
they occupy in the sky at that time. SO that
we shall be unable to witness this Interest,"
ing conjunction. But on Friday evening
the two planets will already have drawn 80
near together that their aspect will DO that
OF most splendid double star.
The observer will notice at once tho un-
questionable superiority Of Venus to her
giant brother In brilliancy. This. OF course.
Is an effect OF distance. for although APP
parently 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 Its
orbit. happens to come almost exactly into
the line OF sight from tho earth to Jupiter.
Jupiter Is more than 1.40O times as large as
Venus. and II it were really placed side by
side with Venus would be at least 100 times
as bright as the latter is. In short 1t would
resemble small but dazzling moon.
But it Is only when one considers what
these two planets are that the true interest
OF this weeks celestial spectacle is de-
veloped. They represent respectively the
kv~v<, SvrN pTd nj N r.
suns family OF worlds may be divided-the
terrestrial group. whose members. like the
earth. arc of comparatively moderate
dimensions. while their surfaces have be-
come cool and encrusted with rocky rlnd.
on which great variety OF life nourishes.
or may flourish-and the Jovian group. to
adopt a name from their greatest repre-
sentative, Jupiter. in which much earlier
stage Of planetary development evidently
exists. so that their surfaces have not yet
cooled down or assumed q permanent form.
These half-developed globes are all OF gigan-
tic dimensions and low specific gravity.
During the past year Jupiter has shown
signs Of tremendous disturbance In the
dense cloudy atmosphere by which 1t Is
surrounded. and the fact has been noted
that such disturbances upon Jupiter show
tendency to coincidence with the return OF
the maximum sun-spot period. Just now
the sun Is becoming from month to month
the scene Of more violent activity than it
has displayed since 1888 or 1884, and at the
same time the great belts and spots upon
Jupiter brighten and glow with color. and
exhibit changes Of wonderful rapidity and
variety. We cannot yet precisely interpret
the processes Of world making which are
going on there. but they are intensely in
terestng to watch.
Venus. too. attracts particular attention
Just now. because observations to be made
during its present visit to our side Of the
sun may settle the question that has been
raised as to tho correctness OF ScHIAPA-
RELL1s conclusion. announced less than
two years ago. that Venus always keeps
one side turned sunward. or makes but one
rotation on It's axis in the course Of a revo-
luton around the sun. II this strange
state of things really exists upon a
planet whose size entities it to be called the
twin Of the earth. SO many consequences
follow. bearing upon the question Of its
Availability. that there is hardly any direc-
ton in which investigation and discovery
could prove more fruitful and Interesting.
They are in every way wonderful pair
of planets which now attract all eyes to the
sunset sky,