The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-13
OF YEAR WHICH
 IS 1O,455 DAYS LONG
From the Boston Post.

AHs 1u5luu Iost.
 AMILLE FLAAIMARION has
 probably done more than any
 other living man to popularize the study of astronomy in his own coun- try France). and even in other lands, for he has a way all his own of present. ing the mysteries of the heavens. the stars and the night. which cannot but appeal to ordinary folks-as well as to scientists. He tells his stories of the sky in simple language. using beautiful figures of speech. and gets the readers sympthy with the subject aroused at once.
 The famous Frenchman has been pre- vailed upon to prepare the following pa per for the Newspaper Enterprise asso- citation, and efforts are icing made to secure his promise to write several other articles along the same line.
 Flammarion was the founder of the Astronomical Society of France, and for his conspicuous achievements in the ad- vancement of this science he has been made one of the Forty Immortals" His publications are of such universal interest and value that they have all been translated into English, and a num- Der of them into several other languages. Among his best known works are Mar vels of the Heavens" 'The Atmosphere, Popular Astronomy" and The Un- known
 There are unquestionably great many people living on earth without knowing where they are. and without ever think ing about 1t. If statistics were made on the subject, 1t would be found that the proportion. even in France and even in Paris, is about 999 out of 10o0 Native ignorance is all-suffcient. It also suf- fees for quadrupeds, for fish, mollusks and plants, and their health does not suffer in consequence.
 Newspapers might never mention as- tronomy. and this is what they generally do When they do mention it, 1t is often to turn it to ridicule. And their readers do not think any the worse of them.
 That Is why I, who am the thousandth Voltaire, who, in his admirable story of Micromegas, has given us such a de- lightful lesson in astronomy: Lamartine. who sang of the glories of the night and Victor Hugo, whose genius vibrated with the breath of the infinite. There are ears opened to these harmonies, brains capa- ble of understanding this vastness. hearts which can be touched by the view of i'm |. mensity.
 The Planet Jupiter.
 At the present moment, every fine night, eyes which can see cannot help noticing a brilliant star, which, from nightfall, shines in the southeast with an almost dazzling light. This Is not a star but a planet 1200 times larger than that which we inhabit. and three times less heavy; 1t is the huge Jupiter, world of the future. Observe it, even with weak telescope; you will be able to distinguish it's wonderful escort of four brilliant sat- tellites circulating about it. And you will have there your first glimpse of the inter est of voyages in the heavens. If you have a stronger telescope. you will dis cover the two bands which stretch across it's equator; you will see their cloudy, fialy appearance, and you will guess. the rapid rotation which causes this colossal sphere to turn itself in less than ten hours Barely five hours of day and five hours Of night form the day of Jupiter And, as its year is twelve times longer than ours, because Jupiter Is five times farther away from the sun than we are. it has no less than 1O.455 days in it's year. Strange calendari unstaple residence, where the hours fly by more swiftly than on our little earthly sphere!
 PIties Women of Jupiter.
 The popular astronomer of a country where the women are, 1t is said, very worldly, J. de Littrow, director of the Vienna conservatory, seems to pity the ladies of Jupiter on account of nights so