The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1898-10-28
PROGRESS In ASTRONOMY.
some of the Things Accomplished in
20 That Science During the
Year 1897. N

The Revue Scientifque of Paris gives
comprehensive review of astronom-
ical progress during last year. Follow
ing are brief accounts of discoveries as
translated for this paper:
"The new asteroids for 1897 are few;
only seven were discovered, of which
six were found by our compatriot
Charlois, of the Nice observatory.
All these discoveries were made by
photography. These minor planets
now number 432.
Five new divisions of the rings of
Saturn have been noted. These are
very fine and difficult to see. Father
Foulkes has observed in the dark in
terror ring notable increase of
opacity
uranus has been made the object
of special study by NJ. Leo Brenner,
who has succeeded in determining its
period of rotation at about eight hours
twenty-seven minutes.
''As to Neptune, its great distance
still prevents us from finding out with
certainty the condition of its surface
and the duration of its rotation.
Comets have been few this year. A
new one was discovered on October
16 by Mr.. Perrine at Lick observatory,
who also rediscovered on June 2S the
periodic comet of d'Arrest.
"The applications of photography
to astronomy increase in Importance
daily, and contribute much to recent
successes"
1t is further stated that the question
of the axial rotation periods of Venus
and Mercury have not been settled NJ.
Leo Brenner still insists that the de-
examinations by the astronomers of
the eighteenth century hold good.
They determined the axial rotation of
Mercury was twenty-fourhours and five
minutes, and of Venus twenty-three
hours and twenty-one minutes. Many
astronomers accept the conclusions of
Schiaparelli that the axial rotations
of both planets correspond with their
revolutions about the sun. That is, the
two planets revolve in the same way
as our satellite. This dispute will
doubtless be settled in time by some
one possessing an excellent telescope
of small aperture and long focus. The
early astronomers, employing tele-
scopes fifty and sixty feet long and
only few inches in diameter, un-
doubtedly saw many things correctly.
Modern telescopes of large aperture
cannot be used to advantage on the
interior planets, owing to atmospheric
disturbance near the horizon.
The discovery of new separations
in the ring system of Saturn indicates
greatly improved optical resources OF
a remarkable change in the system,
There is possibility of a progressive
grouping of the bodies forming the
great ring into narrow rings of bodies
having equal velocities.
The rotation time of Uranus, as de-
termined by Brenner, shows strik-
ing resemblance to that Of Jupiter.
Uranus revolves in eight hours and
twenty-five minutes, while Jupiter
turns on its axis in nine hours fifty-five
minutes and twenty-six seconds.
Since the application autobiography
to the survey of the heavens many as
teroids have been added to the list. In
1877 astronomers had catalogued 172;
now the number is 432. There is no
telling how many more may be detect
ed by the Photographic process Of
mapping the heavens.-Literary Di-
gest. sy
Ready for Here, boy saac
the man. "throw away that cigarette
and smoke cigar" ''Yasser, replied
the urchin. "Say, mister; got whole
pack Of. cigarettes in me pocket
Philadelphia North American.
Why He Refused Him.-Y Young Poet
--.'Why do you refuse me as a son-in-
law? Is 1t because lack meritr'
Paterfamilias-"Oh. no; II Is simply
on account Of lack Of space. We are
really overcrowded for room hers
."--Judge.