Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-23

star is almost exactly the same size as
this globe.
The number of miles traversed in max,
ing a voyage around the equato of the
earth would be almost identically the
same a steheq -sQln shrdl shrd shr ha
same as the equatorial girdle Of Venus.
Nor does the resemblance between the
two planets end here. The two globes,
strange as 1t may seem, nave almost pre-
cisely the same weight. If one could
imagine a pair of ordinary scales so inn
mense as to be able to hold both planets,
with Venus In one pan and the earth In
the other. it would be found that there
was practically no difference between
the weights of the two bodies.
The question Of the possibility that
other planets beside our own may be
inhabited by intelligent beings Is always
a n interesting one, but 1t becomes par
ticularly fascinating at the present time
In view of certain new discoveries In re-
lation to this planet that Is so naa -iy a
twin to the earth. for it is now known
definitely that If Venus is not inhabited
there is nc reason why she should not
be the abode of men and women con-
stituted very much like ourselves.
To a planet that must furnish the
habitation for conscious life similar to
that OF the human being as we know 1t,
the most important condition is the sue
cessiOn of day and night. and when the
question as to the resemblance of an
other world to our earth has been raised.
| the first point to be considered has been
how far the inhabitants of such a world.
II inhabitants there might be.
ourselves in the enjoyment Of the alter
nations Of a day when the sun is In the
skies with a night when the sun Is below
the horizon.
THE DAILY ROTATION.
The changes from day to night and
from night to day are, OF course. the re-
..,A - 4l,o ,,tat;o,, ~ Tho 7 not on ITO
axis. Naturally. therefore, it is neces-
sary for us to learn how far the period
which the planet requires to complete
a turn may agree or disagree with the
time required by the earth for a similar
movement.
This was the question that was asked
in relation to the planet Venus n for
all time it has been supposed that 1T took
so much longer for her to make the turn
on her axis than the period of twenty
three hours and fifty-six minutes. the
time taken by the earth. that 1t would
be impossible that she could be the
home of beings that could in any way
be compared to the people on our, sphere.
One very eminent astronomer thought
that the day in Venus must be enor-
mously long. must. in fact. last for about
fifteen weeks. while the night which sue
ceeded it had to last for fifteen weeks
also. Other tried to solve
the problem in a different manner and
l OBTAIN Ol1erenI RESULTS. all =" WHlCu
were cast aside as unsatisfactory.
A totally new method Of attacking this
question has just been applied to Venus,
however. and it is the opinion Of this
scientists that the mystery has at last
been solved. TIL man who has achieved
this result is the astronomer BelOOolSki,
who. instead of basing his calculations
upon the few permanent marks on the
planet has adopted a new and entirely
different principle.
AS the planet turns round one ed"e
comes towards ns and the other edge
goes from us. If the period be the short
one. like our own dav. then the edee
that is advancing towards us would
move more rapidly than 1t would he
moving n the period were to be express
ed by months.
FURTHER SIMILARITY.
It is easy to see therefore, that by de-
termining the rate at which the advanc
: ing edge is coming towards us 1t is pos
sible to calculate what the duration OF
, the whole rotation must be.
u BY Belopolski's beautiful new process
this can be done, n it is now known
that the short period is the one that is
. correct. In other words a long noted
question has been set at rest and, to the
other a%nalogies between the earth and
it's twin globe, Venus, we have now t.
add that the day and night. for any in.
habitant on that world. succeed eacf
other in much the same fashion as da,
: and night succeed each other on thi!
earth.
II 1t is this discovery that has once more
1T raised the question as to the pOssibilit,
II Of Venus. The solving of the problem
added to what we already know as t.
the location of the planet in relation t,
the sun, makes 1t seem more than prob
n able that the conditions that exist uno,
l. that sphere are such that human Tiff
Is similar to our own is possible and, if thi
.r is the fact. it. is only reasonable to SUP
pose hat such life. exists. Under sucl
. circumstances It is not at all strang
d that Venus should be attracting nartic,,
i lar attention in the astronomical worl
today.