Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-10-16
SATURN'S RINGS
tnnurne rable Satellites OF MINUS
Proportions

,......tsur Discoveries Made ny As's"-
omer During tho Last Quarter Oh
. Century Methods Oh
Study.
Tho announcement made by froi'
raoler of the Mount Allegheny on
servatory. regarding the rings OF oaS-
MN has awakened general interes. IN
that subiect among astronomers. WINE
pot Keelcr's statement may possioiy
..o,,;re additional facts in order 10 Sc
orr.. its acceptance, says the Boston
Aarert;ser. there is certainly no oouDt
.,,., the assertion itself has awakened
a widespread and renewed interest," -
the rings Of Saturn, as IL is announ
that Prof. Keller has secured prac.ical
nroof that the so-callcd rings Oh oa,un
are composed of innumeraole sa'eiii'e'
of minute proportions, or what astrono-
mers call ''cosmic dust.
The rings of Saturn have ior many
wears been the subject OF much spcsu
iation and discussion. 1t is remarkable
that Saturn, among all the planets Oh
~. collar system, should be the only
one To be inclosed with rings. Certainly
the smaller planets have nothing wnicn
NAV be satisfactorily compared 10 tne
rings of Saturn, and Jupiter which ID
about three times as large as SATURN
has nothing which corresponds to these
rings. which lie in the same genera
plane. although they have varying ae-
rrees of density. From the inner edge
~ the ring to the planet the distance Is
loss than six thousand miles, while the
total width of the ring is about three
times as great.
These rings of Saturn have been
known to astronomers for nearly two
centuries and half, and they nave
during that time been a source OF much
wonder and speculation. during the
mast twenty-five years especially, how
ever. the rings have been studied with
much closeness and perseverance.
From all over the world searching tel
escopes have been pointed at this mys-
ferrous phenomenon night after night.
In 1870 M. Teovelot began his series
of observations at Cambridge. About
six wears later he announced that the
matter composing the ring nearest to
SATURN sis anplomerated here and there
in small masses, which almost wholly
prevent the light of the planet from
reaching the eye of the observer"
Two years later Prof. Crofthall, Of
Washington, gave additional testimony
in this direction, describing the dusky
mart of the ring as somewhat like par
ticles of dust floating in ring OF light
traversing q dark chamber" In 1851
a Swiss astronomer, DIR. Meyer, begar
, a series of observations which par
{ t;allv demonstrated the fact that thu
ring was composed of separate par
ticles, moving round the planet Us sat
elites, perhaps to some extent IKE TN
meteors which circle round the sun
What Prof. Keller has done has been u
furnish proof that the conclusion
I reached by the early astronomers wer
r correct, and to give also the speed witt
). which the minute satellites circle roun
f the planet.
= This was accomplished not by an
absolute observations OF the particula
Q atoms within the circle, as some new
r paper reports would seem to imply
d as such proceeding is practically IN
j. possible under the limitations OF sciene
to-day. The method pursued, Will
perhaps less romantic, was, howeve
almost equally satisfactory. Observ'
. tions were made with a spectroscop
1 and by comparing the rays OF the spe
r trum furnished by the eastern edge an
y the western edge of any body OF safe
4 lites, it was possible to calculate tt
!. speed with which the circle itself WI
:, moving around Saturn.
. This method has already been use
q in connection with observations regar
Q ing the speed Of the revolution OF u
Y sun; and Prof. Keeler's observation
have shown that the speed OF any
If the satellites of the inner ring may
a. taken as between thirteen thousand al
seventeen thousand meters per secon
10 There is one peculiar feature OF PrG
Keeler's discovery which has not y
been emphasized. Astronomers gene
j.. ally have supposed that the great d
- covcrics regarding the rings of Satul
"a would be made in certain perio
which were supposed to be especial
Ia favorable for observations OF tn
IN planet. Such a period occurred
Cd l6S4-oO, WHICH tiO AAh6' "NAS 49, SA~A'
n. position as to invite special observ
to lions. After that period had passed,
We was supposed that no more importa
re discoveries would be made again un
of 1914, when especially favorable CONF
nd tions will return.
by Yet, curiously enough, although Z
N. great refractor of the Washington @
70 servatory was used repeatedly duril
- the period Of 1SS4-S6, no striking d
covery was made at that time; while
MS was five years later lin 1880 that an c
an servation of an eclipse of one of S;
lid urn's satellites showed that the ri
for caused shadow almost, if not qui
to- as dark as that planet itself, thus pre-
co. ing that the satellites which compo
nut the ring are thick enough to preve
ng effectually the transmission of ligl
an And it is in 1895, nineteen years befc
nd the next favorable PERIOD" and t
&C. years after the last one, thet Pr
in Keeler's ingenious and important t.
has been secured.
on, '
for Literary Men Who were Shy.
rho Mrs. Julia Ward Howe tells two n
Ia IA