New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-20
A GIANT AMONG PLANETS.
JUPITER WELL PLACED FOR CBshRN a.
TON JUST NOW.
,,,s MOONS AND STRANGE MARKINGS - THE
GREAT RED spOT-v'IIAT ONE cAN SEE
WITH An OPERA GLASS.

If ,.c carly evening is Jupiter. This spendid
planet cuisines the stars. exceeding IN prH'-
jarcv even Sir.us which is till In STINT III the
southwest
Inasuluch Us Jupiter requires rearly t"'iN' CT
the carth's years TO make his circuit ABOUT the
sun the earth cvcrtakcs him once III about
thirteen months. Just as the earth c''*"'"
me drawn from ne giant planet to III" sun
Juriter is said 10 be lin opposition Thai SIN
alton viii exist on Friday Of ills week '"ihS
T. the ccccntricity of his orbit tie oir'h n''
lr.ther t. -pU0NH0 miles further away from
the earth IL the opposition occurs IN ApT'l '''''
Il II cones in October This difference Il 80
sn,su co,rYared with Jupiter's mean distance
c0AWNCU niles. however. thai his apparent
size varies but littlc liars is 2G.~".W" r'il'5
further away at one opposition than at an'ther'
owing to the sane cause bu, he IS such Il near
rcig!lbor that this smaller difference IS o! iar
gre ler consequence.
With = small t,lescorc one can discover on
each side cf Jupiier's equator 3 dark band
With a larger glass these belts break up III
considerable detail. the component patches
showing lovely brown. clive-green ana pu'p"
huts The great part of the orb is 81 E"'e''
color The famous red spot. hrst n''ed III
1878 is about 5000 miles long ami '"" h'i''H
wide It's longer axis is parallel with the 'qua-
tor Tho snot its'if lies just to IN" scuth o. ti'
touthcrn belt. which it perceptlbIy inoehtS'
When il was originally discovered Il was ri'"'
Then the color Geepened to a c"ep req f"u'
or five years later this had faded so tha' "''
could hardly perceive the outline Wi'hih '"'
last sixteen years the distinctneSS WIN ""'"
the spot showed has Gucuaied more OF less "u'
!, ia now, only the ghost % its former sell
The nature Of this strange mark IS stun rays
tcry But while it's yividnes5 has varied l'9 '''
ord noeition have remained practically W.
changed Jupiter is believed to b" n:u'h h"''''
,,o, tho Garth: in fact almost. if not quite IN
candesrent 1t probably shines partly ~ 10
own light It's material. cubic foot FOR CUBIC
49,, ior. cp,v q quarter as much that III
this nlanet The process II condensation mas not
cope 9, far "a the earth's. TT" hrst SiaShhc
,atches # a nlny crust formed on It's surface
some tim. ago; but the operation has prooapP
no, gone far enough to give absolute stabih'y 10
the geography of the planet. The sueSeS''""
that tho red spot is vast continent. Win an
extent equal TO the whole Of the earths surface
Is not unreasonable >ut the notion has not been
definitely established without question III"
tract is undergoing great ply steal changes
The moons of jupiter nave been the subject
OF a great deal Of discussion in modern times
These are five in number Lux the last one to
he discovered (by Barnard in lNJ2) IS only aDout
ore hundred miles in dameie:. and can only be
seen with the aid Of a telescope of from - :" ~
inches aperture Amateurs therefore. must
content themselves with the other four. which
vary In diameter from 1000 to $500 miles. The
smallest Of these is Il trihc larger than the
,arth's moon while the largest Of the group IL
ligger than the planet Mercury. and nearly
eo,;als Mars in diameter. With the aid Of good
opera glass CT field glass. with magnfyinG
mower of thr.c to six diameters all four IF
these satellites can he seen. when advantaGeously
nlaced A number Of wel-authen ,icated in
stances Of Juptcr's moons being seen without
the aid of a glass are on record; but the eX-
rerience is highly exceptional. and practically
impossible
Astronomers were greatly puzzled about four
or five years AGO by the announcement. made
ly Professor w II. Pickering that the larger
satellites Of Jupiter appeared to him to be egg
SHAPED and to be revolving end end.
that their outlines were alternately circular and
elliptcal. The observer. who is a brother OF
+ c. Pickering. director Of the Harvard Oh
yervatory was stationed at that time at Are
Quipa. Peru where. away up III the Andes. Har-
ward has a well-cQuipped station. Professor
barnard. then at the Lick Observatory. found
IL impossible 10 confirm this remarkable story
although he mad long series Of observations
with the great i6-inch refractor Professor
Pickering worked witt l3-nch glass. but be-
leved that he had better atmosphere. Up To
date the astronomical world has not accepted
his alleged discovery final
Another curious story about Juphers third