Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-12-05
THE DECEMBER HEAVENS.
bright Spots seen on Snturns Rings
The Winter ConsteIIRtions--Iuup
ana tho Planets.

spoke last month has already passed its
nearest approach to the earth and is
now rcccding rapidly both from us and
from the sun, so that it will not long re-
main visible, writes Henry Norris Rus
sell, in tho Scientific American. At it's
hest it was only n dirfusc. hay spot OF
light but was fairly bright for a telcs-
copic comet. and easily seen in a small
telescope.
There has been considerable popular
discussion lately about certain bright
spots that have been seen ON Saturn's
rings Tho rings are at present so stu
atcd that We sec their dark side; that is
the one on which the sun does not shine
They are consequently invisible, except
for the thin edge which can bc seen in
large telescopes as a faint and exceed
ngly delicate line OF light. extending out
on each eide of the planet. ON this limo
there appear brighter KNOTS" or Con
densations,' two on each side of tho
planet. symmetrical with respect to IT,
as was announced few weeks us3 from
tn" Lick Observatory.
This phenomenon is, howcer, not new
to science, and in fact an explanation of
il was given by Prof Bond Of Harvard
rather NOR" than fifty years ago. sub
Stahn'IlN rs ''l!' VS.;
Tn" rings of Saturn are thin plano
sheets, most probably less than j" miles
in thickness. Thoughts lGNoH miles N
diameter. They do not, however form an
unhrokcn Sh'ct, hut are composed OF
thr"" diNisions-an outer orc. about 1000
? miles wide" separated from tn" second
by dark space of leo miles. a second,
about 1901 miles in width brighter
than tho first; and 'liS shades gradually
into the third which is faint and partly
Transparent: doubtless because the par
ticles which compose It arc 50 far apart
= that We can SOC through between them.
s We are looking at thorn Mt present
b almost though not quite 'dg"wise; Our
2 distance from the plan" OF the rings hc-
q ing only about $50 OF tho distance Of the
b. planet.
= In consequence. as We look at the part
= OF the rings which is nearly in front of
- tic planet. we see only the Illuminated
: outcy edge Of tho outer ring. The outer
edge of the second ring IS olso illminat-
$ ,.. -, ,,.. ,.,,,a ,,.,,,,, an.
- overlap it, since the actual gap between
:, them Is so narrow. But when we consi-
der series Of points apparently farther
,, from the planet, il is easy TO see that we
> will be looking more and moro obliquely
= across tho narrow gap between the rings
. 50 that IT will look wider, until finally
. We can 50" tho bright edge of the second
. ring through it, IN the same way we see
the inner edge OF IN" outer ring. behind
the planet through IN" same gap. but
= only when we look across it very obli-
i quelN. The combination of these two
Q (Which are too close together to he seen
70 s"para 'lD accounts Tor on" 81 the
p brighter Knots on the faint line of tn"
O rings. Its distance from the planets
:. center should evidently ne equal 10 the
To- apparent diameter of tho division he
a tween the rings, and There will be ano-
i Their similar bright spot on tho opposite
ii SD" OF the planet, ~ IN" ~aln' distance.
J. Tho nnor edge of the second ring ac-
counts for tho other pair of bright
. "knois' IN n similar fashion.
To see them satisfactorily requires a
large telescope and good atmospheric
conditions, so that they are all beyond
, the rang" OF most amateur Observers.
u ,r, ,,,,.,,,->.
az
; The winter consultations. which form
l. probably the finest group in all the skies,
!. are low ''I'"'''s' O'''" - ptr'Y
- belt points upward toward Aldcbaran,
and downward to Sirius. rather more ac-
q. CuratclY than our map would indicate.
Proryon IN tho Little Dog. Castor and
. POllux in the Twins. and Capclla in tho
. Chariotecr, max up 4 second line OF
. bright stars to the northward Of the
- first Pcrscus ana Andromela are over
-, head. with the Ram (Arios) and the
small but ancient constellation Of the
- Triangle. In the south are the large bu,
. faint star groups or the Fishes, the
= River Eridanus. and the Whale, which
= can best 10 identified by aid Of the mar
Il The variable star Mira, is now a
llttle past maximum and still visible Ia
the naked eve.
The southwestern sky contains three
ne bright objecte-thc star Fomalhaut ant
ID the planets Saturn and Mars The for
n mer Is in Aquar!us (thc Water Bearer
If south Of Tho middle of the great square
~ q, p.oos,r -rra ,ot+or ia in tho CO. m,
as constellation, a little farther west, ant
r, be toll by his red color.
d p,gaeus and ,hn bolnbiu arc I'm ,l.
49, ~ ''''
TX below the Pole, and the Great Beal
m coming up in the northeast.
nj ,,,, -, >.,
NJ
II Mercury Is q morning star an through