The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-01-23

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 mysteri-
Gus. Is Venue a living world or dead
one? That is to say, is it in condi-
ton 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 pres
emf are unable to answer. but their ef-
forts to answer them and the observa-
tons that they, have made of the mys-
FERROUS planet. possess an almost start
ling interest.
First. let us briefly recall what Venus
is 1t is a globe like our earth, and OF
very nearly the same magnitude, hav-
ing a diameter of about 1,10O miles,
while that of fhe earth is little more
than 1900 miles. So nearly Of the
same size are the two planets that II
we could view them from an equal dis
lance we should be unable, without the
aid of instruments of measurement, 10
detect any difference between them
The substance of Venus is slightly
lighter. bulk for bulk, than that which
composes the earth but the difference
in this respect is so little that again
it would require special examination
to distinguish by weight between GU
bic 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 of the
earth. If we could step upon Venus
we should find that we had parted
with few pounds weight, but the diff
ference would not be very noticeable,
except, perhaps, on the racetrack.
But this planet, so like the earth IN
many respects. is very different from
our globe in it's situation. The earth's
distance from the sun is 9o,0UO,UUo
miles: the distance of Venus from the
sun is 81 100000 miles. This difference
becomes a matter of great Importance
when we consider the effects which the
sun produces upon the two planets.
Heat and light, as everybody knows,
vary inversely as the square OF the dis
lance. When we compare the square
of the earth's 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 exist
ence upon the radiant energy of the
sun. On the earth, when we pass from
the Arctic regious toward the equator,
we find the number of living forms and
the variety and intensity of the mani
festations of life continually increasing,
until. in the equatorial 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 sunshine is death. 1t
is but natural to infer that Venus, hav-
ing twice as much sunshine as the
earth. should be proportionately more
crowded with animal and vegetable
inhabitants. and that the intensity of
life there should be corresppndingly
greater. Some biologists have thought
that there was time when the climate
of the earth was so hot that tropical
plants and beasts lived abundantly
around the poles A similar condition
of things might be supposed now to
prevail upon venus.-Harpers Round
Table.