The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1896-12-31
VENUS AND MERCURY. :
Important Nezs Discoveries Beiat-
inQ TO Raass Planets
sIaGG IoteEsst t.EG.sfa ssnPos AstroAo-
ners -bJ Kceeot observation
Made al the Ls@eil
Observatory. -sSs-2

The observers at the Lowell Obserya-
tory find that Mercury and Venus ro-
tate az their axis once.during their rev
olutioR :about the sun. Venus is not
c~loud-covered. as has been supposed,
but is yelled in an atmosphere but Mer-
cury is not.
This Official dispatch from Mr. Lowell
for distribution 10 astronomers Is Elk
ceedincly interesting since it suggests
radical changes in the generally &C
copied opinions concerning the
motions CT thesc planets. and the atmoS-
pheric conditions existing on Venus.
OF course the data from which he
opinions have been Geduced cannot as
vet be stated, for the information has
come to us by telegraph. Observations
of Mercury and Venus have always been
difficult. the reasons therefor in the
different planets being. however. not
the sarle. Mercury never leaves the
| company Of the sun, its greatest DIS
tauce from 4 in the sky being not more
than about 20 degrees. It is or that &c
CONT enveloped always in sunlight.
which dims It's brightness and makes
the details OF its surface difficult TO de
tect. SoTae so years ago astronomers
through they discovered motion about
its axis and fixed The day at about five
minutes less than ours. But this time,
while generally accepted and given
place III text books, has been without
absolute proof. IT has been conceded
that little or no atmosphere exists
here. for if it did il would have been
detected during the .transitS of the
planet across the suns disk. The rO-
ta1ioa period must in this case be deter
mined from observation OF the actual
surface OF Mercury, and hitherto no OBJ
sereec has been fortunate enough L.
to get even Elimpses of this.
WithVenus the case is quite different
The brightness of this planet is such as
I o obscure vision. Sothat the best obser-
~vations have been taken at tiInes when
there was daylight present to tone
down its b~filiiancy. 1t has been the
general opinion that the surface of the
planet was hidden from US BY dense
clouds in the atmosphere, while noun
tain peaks piercing these clouds or per
rnaRent spots laxe.been lacking, SO that
the tine of rotation. has been in doubt.
It has beep set down, however, as about
an hour longer than the day of the
earth. SoGae observations Of things
which were supposed TO give a:clewt6
The rotation haze been recorded, but,
like the satellite which was seen by the
older astronomers To be in company
with the planet, the later astronomer
with his powerful telescopes has not
been able TO see them.
The dispatch from Flagstaff suggests
the curious fact that these planets
have each of them only one day in each
year, ard this will very readily settle
the question Of possible Inhabitants,
unless indeed there are nomadic tribes
which follow The sun and live always on
the sunny side of the planet, for the
Other portion. exposed 70 darkness and
inter planetary cold, can hardly De
liable % ~ucrort life. With reference to
The atmosphere cf Venus, it has been
! garcrtl3r conceded that one exists
rthich i dcnser than ours. The rea-
sons iur this belief ore, briefly, that at
the tiH2e when Nenus IS a crescent the
hours cxtend over nor than hals a
circle, which they could not do were
there 10 atmosphere to reflect the
light; and, further. when during The
trarsAs OF |enEs q portion OF The
planet has entered upon the suns disk
or remains upon it an illumination of
the whole edge Of the planet has been
secn, which could bn accomplished in
10 ysaT known to Us except the dii"u-
sion Of the sunlight through an at
mosphyre. Tne decree Of this diffusion
beirg c0rsiaeraJ-it IS probable that the
atmosphere is quite dense. Mr.. Lowell
is. to,reeer assured that the supposed
clouds do Tot exist and alLthat prevents
Our obacrvatin1 Of he coniguraSion OF
Eerus is the difficulty of looking
through us atmosphere. Boston
Transcript.