The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-05

the higher regions Of the planets atmos-
phere, and which reflects back to us the
greater part OF the sunlight.
I'm view Of these several facts 1t would
seem TO be extremely difficult to detect the
actual surface of Venus from the earth
Observation moreover. points to the same
conclusion.
draw a telescope picture of Venus with
out noticing the difficulty, peculiar to this
planet, of being quite certain of any of its
aspects.
Generally we perceive nothing: a daz-
Zling whteness. but no spots at ali-the
very opposite of what happens in the case
OF the moon, Mars or Jupiter. Even
where. by some extraordinary chance. the
observer does perceive some marking, il
Is altogether underlined. doubtful and faint
IL we are convinced of the reality OF some
marking or other. and make a sketch or
the disc. 1t often happens that in a few
hours. or one or two days. a week a fort
night or so, we may again observe prac-
ucaliy the same configuration. We take
the drawings, which seem to be in agree
ment more or less. and we fancy we can
trace In them the rudiments of Chvter-
can chart. Thus new map OF Venus Is
published on an average every ten years
In the same way. another astronomer
makes other drawings which are in as good
agreement with each other. but which very
often do not at all resemble the first series.
Similarly, II we compare drawings
made at different times. say the drawings
or last century. with those made at the
present time, they bear no resemblance
In 172S Bianchlnl. working under the
bright italian sky. made n number OF
drawings. and traced man with contj-
nents and seas: and these CONGREGATIONS
the author considered sufficiently certain
and stable for ri tr,~a a..
regions Calico. Columbus Vespucci. and
King Emanuel. II we look for these COM
hgurations in modern illustrations OF We
nus. we look In vain: whereas the general
aspects of the moon, Mars or Jupiter NAV
he readily identified even in the oldest
drawings
Thus. In the first place. there IL th,.
essential difference between Venus and the
other planets. that nothing sure. stable or
perpetual Is discovered upon its disc:
while on the other hand. the conditions
under which Venus can be observed from
the earth. the absorption by It's atmosphere
and the clouds which must overspread Il
continually, effee'ually prevent us from
Distinguishing. except on rare occasions
any OF It's surface markings Ii we care
fully examine the observations which have
been made for more than two centuries to
determine the rotation OF Venus. we find
them insufficient for any definite result
To briefly recall them
THE first interesting obServa tons con-
corning the CONGREGATIONS and rotation OF
the planet Venus were made by DcsneaIco
Cassni, at Bologna In 1855 On the 18th
OF October OF that year a. 5:45 o. m he
perceived bright spot near the termina-
tor and two elongated dark spots near its
western limb. That was all he noted in
this year, for afterwards he was unsilc-
ceSsful in bis attempts 10 view the planet
II was not until the 9th OF April following
that. quarter Of an hour before SUNRISE
he once more beheld. upon the other half
OF me Venus hemisphere viz: the eastern
half, then visible, a dark patch. elongated
and pointed In share and also a brilliant
spot near the termination. lower down or
south. A quarter Of an hour later. lust at
sunrise. the bright spot had become s.raf-
bly, displaced from the south TO the north
On the morrow (zist % ApriD. at sunrise
exactly. ne again saw the spot. and again
displaced from south 10 north as On the
day before. IN rsang Il reached the GEN.
ter Of the disc. about thtr1y-s!x minutes
after sunTtsa- Cassili saw Il again on tas
ath. loan and isth OF May and on the 5th
and sth OF June: but no more observations
are recorded in his lifetime. Ia fact. 10
observations a. all unt!i me year I7-G.
From these observations Casssni con-
Guided tina; Venus possesses either a mo-
ton Of iihi alton. or OF rotation from south
50 north.
In It's and f7Z7 Bianclafni made a series
% obseryat tons. both az Rome and Albano
with the aid Of an excellent ob5ect-giass
constructed BY CsmpauI. These observa-
tsous and drawings tn 10 particular
ssmhle or tally with t5cge made by Cas-
STAT BlanchinI always saw circular dark
spots cut hy the tsTmtnafor. TIE ossser-
vations were made TIA the evening. al sun