The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1897-07-10
VENUS AND MERCURY.
Important New Discoveries Relat-
ing to These Planets.
Much Interest Excited Among Astrono-
mers by Recent Observations
Made at the Lowell
Observatory.

The observers at the Lowell observa-
tory find that Mercury and Venus TO
/ tate on their axis once during their rev.
olution about the sun. Venus is not
cloud-covered, as has been supposed,
but is veiled in an atmosphere, but Mer-
curry is not.
This official dispatch from Mr.. Lowell
for distribution to astronomers is ex-
ceedingly interesting, since it suggests
radical changes in the generally ac-
cepted opinions concerning the
motions of these planets and the atmos-
pheric conditions existing on Venus.
Of course the data from which the
opinions have been deduced cannot as
yet 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 same. Mercury never leaves the
company of the sun, it's greatest dis
tance from it in the sky being$not more
than about 80 degrees. 1t is on that ac-
count enveloped always in sunlight,
which dims its brightness and makes
the details of it's surface difficult to de.
tect. Some so years ago astronomers
throught 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 in text books, has been without
absolute proof. 1t has been conceded
that little or no atmosphere exists
there, for if it did it would have been
detected during the transits of the
planet across the suns disk. The ro-
tation period must in this case be deter
mined from observation of the actual
surface of Mercury, and hitherto no OBJ
server has been fortunate enough TO
to get even glimpses of this.
With Venus the case is quite different.
The brightness of this planet is such as
to obscure vision, so that the best obser-
vations have been taken at times when
there was daylight present to tone
down it's brilliancy. 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-
manent spots have been lacking, so that
the time of rotation has been in doubt.
1t has been set down, however, as about
an hour longer than the day of the
earth. Some observations of things
which were supposed to give clew to
the rotation have been recorded, but,
like the satellite which was seen blythe
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, and this will very readily settle |
the question of possible inhabitants,
unless indeed there are nomadic tribes
the sunny side of the planet, for the
other portion, exposed to darkness and
cold, can hardly be
able to support life. With reference to
the atmosphere of Venus, it has been
generally conceded that one exists
which is denser than ours. The rea>
sons for this belief are, briefly, that at
the time when Venus is a crescent the
hours extend over more than half
circle, which they could not do were
there no atmosphere to reflect the
light; and, further, when during The
transits of Venus a portion of The
planet has entered upon the suns disk
or remains upon it an illumination of
,he whole edge of the planet has been
;een, which could be accomplished in
10 way known to us except the di1ru-
ion of the sunlight through an at
The degree of this diffusion +
,eing considered it is probable that the
is quite dense. Mr.. Lowell 4,
S, however assured that the supposed
LIQUIDS do not exist and all that prevents
ur observation of the confguration of
yenus is the difficulty of looking C
through its atmosphere. - Boston s
g