Omaha daily bee., 1896-05-17

any permanent features. 1t seems as
certain as anything can be with respect to q
globe which is distant from us by 1874, 900,
600 miles, that Saturn as we see 1t is not a
solid object. What we look at is plainly
a surface Of clouds and vapors SO thick and
50 dense that our vision has never been able
to penetrate through them, TO a depth suf-
ficient to show whether or not there is any
solid interior to Saturn. There cannot be a
doubt that the stupendouS envelope of clouds
and vapors which Saturn renders
the physical condition Of that globe totally
different in every way from the physical con-
ditions of such a globe as our earth or as
Mars. There is also another line of reason
ing by which we can convince ourselves of
the fact that the globe of the ringed planet
has been greatly swollen by volumes of
clouds and vapors. By suitable observations
on the moons with which Saturn is attended,
It is possible to determine the weight of the
central orb by whose attractive power the
movements Of the moons are controlled. The
diameter of the planet has also been measured,
and its volume has thus been ascertained,
and from knowing these facts we are able to
learn the density Of the materials OF Saturn,
as compared with those Of other globes, such
for example as our earth. 1t Is known that
this globe of ours is between five and six
times the weight OF a globe of water of the
same size. This has been the result derived
from very careful experiment and observation.
1t is, however. easy 20 perceive by a little
general reasoning that some such conclusion
as that we have just stated would be ex-
tremely probable. For the rocks which
compose the earth's crust are between two
and three times as heavy, bulk for bulk, az
water, while iron, which enters without doubt
very largely into the constitution Of the earth,
Is rather more than seven times as heavy as
water.
ITS SIZE AND WEIGHT.
Common sense would thus seem to show
that the earth as a whole must be heavier
than a globe of stone the same size, while
not 30 heavy as a globe of iron the same
size. Hence we might have anticipated thSt
our globe should be, as experiment has
shown 1t to be, about FIVE or six times as
heavy as a globe OF water OF equal bulk.
The specially remarkable circumstance with
regard to the globe of Saturn is that the
materials of which 1t is made are very
much lighter than the materials OF the
earth. The planet In so vast that 1t would
take 600 globes as large as our earth
agglomerated into one to be equal in volume
to the ball of Saturn. If this celestial body
had been constituted in the same manner as
our earth is constituted, 1t might, there
fore. be reasonably expected that the weight
of the ringed planet would be in like pro-
portion to its bulk, that is 10 say, about 600
as heavy as the earth. AS a matter
of fact 1t is nothing Of the kind. Saturn
does not weigh 100 times as much as the
earth. There is here a wide discrepancy.
The materials Of the great planet must be,
on the whole, far lighter than those OF which
the earth is built. Our earth. though not
so heavy as an equally large ball Of iron. is
yet far heavier than an equally large ball
Of stone. Saturn. on the other hand, is
than its own bulk of water. A globe
equally large and equally heavy with Saturn
would float upon water. II is impossible to
the relative lightness OF Saturn
from the fact that 1t is encompassed with
a stupendous mass of clouds. OF course
-hese clouds have comparatively little
weight. but they have added enormously 10
he bulk Of Saturn. and have thus tended
% reduce its average density. II Is. how
'yer. quite possible that in the central parts
II the planet there may be materials pos
essing a density as great as that Of any
in the earth.
IT'S PHYSICAL STATE.
There ~ no difficulty In satisfactorily ac-
ounting for the great discrepancy which ex-
sts between the physical state OF Saturn :