The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-02-21
MYSTERIES OF VENUS.


SpeculatiOns and ReckoningE Con-
corning the Beautiful Planet.
The most beautiful planet and the one
that comes nearest to the earth and most
resembles the earth in size is at the same
time the most mysterious. Is Venus a
living world or dead one-that is to say,
is it in condition to support inhabitants,
and is it probable that such inhabitants
are there, or, on the other hand, is it un-
suited for their presence and barren of
living forms?
These questions astronomers at present
are unable to answer, but their efforts to
answer them and the observations that
they have made Of the mysterious planet
possess an almost startling interest
First let us briefly recall what Venus is.
1t is globe like our earth and Of very
nearly the same magnitude, having
diameter of about 200 miles, while that
of the earth is little more than 1900
miles. So nearly of the same size are the
two planets that il we could view them
from an equal distance we should be I'M
able without the aid Of instruments of
measurement to detect any difference be-
tween them. The substance of Venus Is
slightly lighter, bulk for bulk, than that
which composes the earth, but the differ
ence in this respect is so little that again
1t would require special examination to
distinguish by weight between a cubic
foot of the soil of Venus and an equal
amount of the soil Of the earth. 1t follows
that on Venus the force of gravitation or
the weight of bodies does not greatly differ
from that on the earth If we could step
VDr,t1u CHI l,J a
parted with few pounds weight, but the
difference would not he very noticeable
except perhaps on the race track.
But this planet, so like the earth in
many respects, is very different from our
globe In its situation. The earth's dis
lance from the sun is 93,O00 600 miles; |
the distance of Venus from the sun is 67,- |
600, 900. This difference becomes mat |
ter of great importance when we consider
the effects which the sun produces upon
the two planets. Heat and light, as every /
body knows, vary inversely as the square
Of tho distance When we compare the
square of the carths distance from the
sun with the square Of Venus distance,
we find that the former is about double
the latter. This means that Venus on
the average gets twice as much heat and
light from the sun as the earth gets
But on the other hand, we know that
all forms Of life depend for their existence
upon the radiant energy of the sun. On
the earth, when we pass from the arctic
region toward the equator, we find the
number of living forms and the variety
and intensity of the manifestations of life
continually increasing until in the equa-
torial zone earth, Sea and air are all
crowded with animate and growing
things. The touch Of the sun everywhere
produces life, and In the absence of sun
shine Is death. 1t is but natural to infer
that Venus, having twice as much sun
shine as the earth, should be proportion
ately more crowded with animal and vege.
table Inhabitants, and that the intensity
of life there should be CORRESPONDENCE
greater. Some biologists have thought ,
that there was a time when the climate of {
the earth was so hot that tropical plants (
md beasts lived abundantly around the Z
poles. A similar condition of things {
might be supposed now to prevail upon !
Round Table. a