The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-02-09
VENUS AND ITS MYSTERIES.
Questions hegarding the Plant
which Astronomers Are TN
able to Answer.

The most Deacti1nl planet anu tue
one that comes nearest 10 the earth,
and most resembles the earth in size, is
at the same time the most mysterious.
Is Venus a living world or dea! one?
That is TO say, is it in a condihon to
support Inhabitants, and is it probable
that such inhabitants are there, or, on
the other hand. is it unsuited for their
presence and barren of living forms?
These questions astronomers at pres
ent are unable TO answer but their ef-
forts to answer them and the observa-
tions that they have made of the mys-
terious planet possess an almost start
ling interest
First let us briefly recall! what Venus
Is. 1t is a globe like our earth, and 81
very nearly the same magnitude hay
ing a diameter Of about 7,7o0 miles,
while that of the earth is little more
than 1900 miles So nearly of thu sans.
size are the two planets that if we could
view them from an equal distance we
should be unable, without the aid of in
struments Of measurement, 10 detect
any difference between them. The
substance of Venus is slightly lighter,
bulk for bulk, than that which COM
poses the earth; but the ditfere1 ce in
this respect is so little that again il
would require special examination TO
distinguish by weight between a cubic
foot of the soil of Venus and an equa,
amount of the soil of the earth. 1t fol-
lows that on Venus the force of gravta-
tion or the weight of bodies does not
differ greatly from that on the earth.
If we could step upon Venus we should
find that we had parted with few
pounds weight, but the difference
would not be very noticeable, except
perhaps on the race track
But this planet, so like the earth in
many respects, is different from our
globe in its situation. The earth's dis
tance from the sun is % 100000 miles,
the distance of Venus from the sun is
67 600, 900 miles. This difference be-
comes a matter OF great Importance
when we consider the effects which the
sun produces upon the two pianets.
Heat and light.a everybody knows,vary
inversely as the square of the distance.
When we compare 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 ther exist
ence upon the radiant energy If the
sun. On the earth, when we pass from
the arctic regions toward the equator.
we find the number Of living forms and
the variety and intensity of the mani
festaiions Of life continually increas-
ing. until, in the equatoria- zone. earth
sea and air are all crowded with an
innate and growing things. The touch
of the sun everywhere produces life,
and the absence of sunshine is death.
II is but natural TO infer that Venus.
| having twice as much sunshine as the
earth. should be proportiunately more
crowded with animal and vegetable in
habitants and that the intensity Of life
there should be sponGingly great
er Some geologists have thought thar
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
Nenus.-Harper's Round Table.