Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-11-22
THE PLANET VENUS.
Fresh Contributions to Our KNOWLEDGE
Of That Celestial Body. -

''oh OSiCobdi DOuy.
new volume of the Annals of Har-
ward Observatory contains some valu-
able contributions to existing knowl-
edge of the planet Venus. These con-
tributions are from the Harvard OBJ
servers at Arequipa, Peru. headed by
| PROFESSOR w. HI. Pickering. In the
clear atmosphere as Arequipa, a high
mountain station. the best opportunity
is given for the study of the brilliant
planet now radiant in the western skv
at evening.
On Saturday morning he made some
suggestions concerning the probable
condition of the planet from personal
! observation. The conclusion then
stated was that Venus is enveloped in
a dense covering of cloud Indicating a
| great amount of water on the planet
1t was reasoned that only cloud or a
water surface would reflect so much
light as Venus reflects. AS observa-
ton reveals no surface markings of
consequence 1t was to be assumed that
the real surface is not visible and that
the cloud covering alone is seen. The
observations in Peru tend to confirm
this view, but they go much farther.
The Literary Digest of last week
contained a summary of the Peru OBJ
serations with comment by Garrett p.
Serviss. Professor Pickering noted
the great retroactive power of the
planets atmosphere above the cloud
layer and concluded that the atmos-
phere must be dense. According to
his calculation the atmosphere of
Venus must be several times more
dense than that of the earth at sea
level This atmosphere density would
FAVOR the suspension of water and
other vapor above the planet. con
dition that probably obtains Pro
lessor Pickering likens the condition
OF Venus in her dense cloud covering
and heavy atmosphere to that of the
vapor-wrapped earth millions of years
ago. In other words, Venus is broiling
and laying down her coal measures, or
may be still in her Silurian age. wait
ing for the animals and plants of the
carboniferous era. If the nebular
hypothesis is fairly correct, Venus is
one of the latest children of the sun
nebula, and. as a consequence of late
ness, is not SO far developed as the
earth
The observations at Arequipa do not
sustain the theory but recently ad-
vanced that the axis of the planets
rotation is horizontal to the plane of
the orbit. The Harvard observers find
that the axis of rotation is perpendicu-
lar to the plane of the orbit II the
axis is perpendicular there are no
changes OF seasons on the planet.
The great density OF the planets
atmosphere and the heavy covering of
cloud are certainly excellent indica-
tons of an earlier stage of growth
than that of the earth. But the
presence of vast amount Of water on
body near the sun might explain the
phenomenon of dense clouds and
possibly that of deep, heavy atmos-
phere. Until these Peruvian obserya-
lions were made little had been learn
ed about Venus than was known TO
the early astronomers who looked at
the planet with their cumbrous instru-
ments sixty felt long. These instru-
ments, of small aperture and long
focus, were the best that could be de-
yised for overcoming the difficulties |
caused by the planets intense bright |
Massachusetts Democrat and Chron-
icle.