The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-05-05
saTURN'S RING.
Viewed in the Light Of Recent ~heg'"
Astronomical Discovery

:, Professor Keeler. Of Pittsburg' mas
positively demon streted and estao'is"e'
the fact that the ring OF Saturn Is com
nosed OF innumerable small stellites' nc
has achieved rotable feat In astronomi-
cal discovery. The theory that the ring
is so composed is not new entirely out Il
has never been fully verified. professor
I<celer's process OF reasoning Is not Otis
scientific. but exceedingly ingenious anu
n seems that he has solved an astronomy
cal problem Of long standing.
The ring Of Saturn Is ltseiI one Oh euo
strangest mysteries Of astronomy. W ny
Saturn alone Of all the planets OF the
solar system should have ring Is incom-
prehensible. Jupiter which Is more thah
three times as large as Saturn, has no
ring and all the smaller planets get
along without one, Saturn alone being
supplied with the exceptional ana APP
parently useless appendage. TIE rms
consists OF three apparent rings iylnB III
one plane and OF different degrees OF
density. The inner edge OF the ring is
300 miles from the planet ITSELF ana us
total diameter is i1ZS0J miles ll NaS
first discovered in 1853, and has oeeh
more or less a subject Of speculation
and observation by astronomers ever
since. II was at first assumed 70 ne
solid. but that theory was apahnol'n'
Then the accepted theory Tor q iohs tiNe
WAS that IL consisted OF vast number
of particles or minute bodies Tree TO
move relatively 20 one another-n snort
thaf IL was fluid. The theory was largely
cOniecturaL
For about twenty-five years past the
q
continual vigilance and study by astrono-
mers. Searching telescopes In all parts
Of the world have been pointed AT II at
regular and frequent intervals, ana there
have been few nights In the year when
sharp and learned eyes have not been
trying to unrayel its mystery. In 1910
NJ TeOuvel0t. French astronomer OF
note, at that time in this country, put
who afterwards returned To France be-
gan a series of observations or saturn,
first with his own telescope az cam
bridge, Mass, and later with the mucn
larger ones at Harvard University ann
the observatory az Washington ln 1910
he announced some interesting concur
sions. but none touching the composition
OF the ring except that "the matter com
posing the dusky ring. meaning tne
part nearest the planet itself, "is ae-
alomerated here and there into small
r-asses which almost wholly prevents
,b. rght m the nlanet from reaching the
c,.o If tho observarn From 1873 TO 1877
CrofthaH. of Washington. made a series
of observations which led 90 no definite
,o,,.lusiop bovonB confirming Mr.. Tecuv.-
Iot,s dcscription of the appearance Of
tho duslv mart of tho ring as some
what like PARTICLES OF dust floating n a
ring Of light trayerslne dark cham
to,v
=, 1881 ~, ,fc,cr o. e,yfss astronomer.
,,,.,,fo D., e.rios of observations which led
80 ,,r.f,l re,isior of tho 0eura. rola-
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