The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-03-27
SEA LAWYER BABCG THE EUROPEAN SITUATION some NOTABLE R[glTH STEAMER NAG
PLANET VENUS IN THE LIGHT OF
RECENT DISCOVERY.
Always Turns the Same Side to the
Sun--Has no alienation of Day and
Night--Canals of Mars.

A remarkable article about the
planet Venus appears in the March
Atlantic. 1t is by Percival Lowell, the
eminent astronomer, who established
an observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona,
at an elevation of 5000 feet, with an
eighteen-inch lens in his telescope. 1t
may be remembered that Nature lately
reproduced some remarkable photo
graphs taken by Mr.. Lowell, showing
the wonderful network of the canals"
of Mars, more plainly than ever shown
before.
Between August and November last
MIR. Lowell turned his instrument up
on Venus, and in the transparent AIR
of that elevated locality, obtained some
notable results. Up to that tine no
reliable determination had been made
of the time of the rotation of Venus
upon its axis, owing to the difficulty
of distinguishing the sp,ts upon the
surface of the planet. The ma jority OF
observers believed that the diurnal ro-
tation of Venus was about twenty-four
hours. But within a few years, Scia-
parelli, who discovered the Martan
canals, and another observer on Mt.
Etna, became satisfied that rotation Of
Venus was in nearly or quite the same
time as it's orbital revolution, or in
about eight of our months.
Mr.. Lowell has now fully established
the fact that the two periods are iden-
tical, /. e., that Venus always turns the
same side towards the sun, just as cur
wards the earth.
His observations were made daily for
four months, for several hours OF each
afternoon, when the planet was near
the zenith. Many drawings were made
each day, certain spots being distin-
guished and delineated from the first
day. AS the planet drew nearer the
earth, the number and distinctness of
the markings delineated Increased. 1t
was soon observed that the spots al
ways maintained the same position In
respect to what is called the termin.
ator, which is the slightly irregular
| line separating the dark and %sright
portions of the planet, such as we see
in the moon. That is, no new spots
ever emerged from the dark side into
the bright, nor did the spots seen ever
change their position away from the
line of darkness.
/ Mr.. Lowell concludes that there are
therefore no alterations of day and
night upon Venus. One half is always
in the sunlight, the other half is in
perpetual darkness. One half is in
scorching heat, the other half in in
tense cold. From one-half all water is
evaporated, and has been borne by the
atmosphere to the dark side, where il
is doubtless congealed in vast gla.
cier.
Venus has dense atmosphere
which creates Il sort of whitish vel
over the whole surface, obscuring the
coloration of the spots. Venus is quite
lacking in the .variegated markings OF
Mars, many of them perhaps caused
by vegetation.
Mr.. Lowell attributes this condition
of Venus rotation to a similar cause
to that of the moons like condition
The force of the earth's attraction has
caused great tides in the moon. Those
tides have acted by their friction as a
brake upon the moons rotation on its
axis. That rotation has slowly been
retarded for many millions of years
until it has ceased altogether as re-
! CARDS the moons face towards the
earth. In like manner, the tides raised
in Venus by the sun have finally en-.
planet, and it turns the same face i'm,
moveably towards the great luminary
The tide producing force of the sun
upon Venus is seven times as great as
upon the earth. That force varies in
versely as the sixth power of the dis
tance. Mercury is subjected to be
tween two hundred and three hundred
times the similar force experienced by
the earth. and doubtless, like Venus
always turns the same face to the sun
Thus one mystery has been finall,
solved as to the two "inferior' planets
Our astronomical knowledge has re
fords intellectual satisfaction, even
though there may be mo money in it,
Few persons can fail to welcome som,
certain information about that splen
did "Planet of Love" which now burn