The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1901-02-15

belts on Jupiter and Saturn prove
the existence OF an atmosphere and
aqueous vapor, showing the existence
OF bodies Of water. The planet Sat.
urn is distinguished from all the other
planets in being surrounded by a
br,,l, thin, lunIn ,us ring, entire
ly detached fr,m the body OF the
planet. This ring sumetimes causes
a shadow uoni th' planet, and IS
in turn at times partially obscured
by he shadow OF the planet. The
distance between the planet and the
inner circle of this ring is some $4,000
miles, the rings breadth is about
900 miles, hut as its edge is nearly
always toward the earth it's surface
il never seen, and the ring can only
be seen with telescopes. What we
have called Saturn's ) ring consists, In
fact, OF two concentric' rings, which
turn together although entirely de-
tached from each other. The void
space between them is perceived by
telescopes Of higher power in the
form of black oval line, the inner
band or ring is said to be about IL. 900
miles broad while the outer band is
some 10 900 miles broad. The distance
between the two rings being nearly
1,SOO. AS to the origin Of the rings
Of Saturn, Sir John Herschel says:
"Their motions in their common orbit
around the sun must have been ad
justed by an external power, with
the minutest precision, or that the
ring must have been formed about
the planet while subject to their
common orbital motion, and under
the full and free influence OF all the
acting forces, in the progressive Gre
alton of the universe" Saturn has
nine satellites. They all, with the
execution OF the Sth, revolve very
nearly iu the plane Of the ring and of
the equator OF the planet. The 9th
SATELLITE is estimated to be very little
less than the planet Mars in size, the
others diminish in size until the 1st
aud second are so small and so near
the ring that they are only discovered
at times With the most powerful tele-
scopes.
URANUS AND ITS SATELLITES.
Uranus is next in rotation, and is
50 far away that although it comes
fourth in the largest of the planets,
and being larger than Mercury,
Venus, Earth and Mars combined, is
scarcely visible to the naked eye.
It's diameter is 3O,S75 miles, it rotates
on it's axis in the in the incredibly
short space Of nine hours. One as
auuut ot,ovv iiIiios, ...u ..<...
is 80 times that OF the Earth. It's
mean distance from the sun is l ISL
$4,000 miles and occupies 80, CSC
days in making it's journey around
the sun. Uranus has four moons,
but they are only discovered by tele-
scopes Of the highest power. To give
one idea OF the distance Of this
planet, imagine cannon ball making
a trip through space, beginning at
the sun. When it has travelled &c, ,OOO,.
ooo miles and passed the orbit OF
Mercury, 33 million more and passed
Hen"'' aA million more, passing the
Earth, so million more ana pnssea
Mars, then 3t2 millions Of miles more
and passed Jupiter, to this add an
other little flight OF 4O3 millions OF
miles t> Saturn, when that cannon
ball had m lde all this distance from
the sun, in bee line for Uranus, it
would be just a little over half way
TO that planet. Can you swallow all
hat at one dose, gentle reader? Quite
distance away, isn't it? But that
S nothing to what's coming. Let's
see about Neptune next week.