Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-08-15
THE PLANET JUPITER
A Monster World, 1900 Times
the Size OF Ours.
WHIRlS WITH AWFUL SPEED.
II Spins Around at Such q Fearful
Gait That a Furious Gale Perpetual
ly Eneireles Its Equator-lts Posi-
BILE inhabitants and It's Moons.


BILE inhabitants and It's Moons.
| 1t Is curious how little the average
person knows about Jupiter. He has
heard Il lot. too much perhaps. about
Mars. but that world. 1900 times the
siy, Iours. whlrllng In the terrible
distance Of space with its five
moons. It's III months yearly. known
as Jupiter is almost II not quite mys-
terry
In the first place. Jupiter, according
TO some astronomers. Is inhabited.
So are some OF its moons. In the
midst Of which the great planet spins
around like II top at such tremendous
speed that II causes around the equator
furious wind that blows perpetually
at II rate OF about $50 miles an hour
In the midst of this never ending,
bowling gale live the Joylans. Some
astronomers say that because Jupiter
Is so much bigger and heavier than
the earth no creature OF any weight
can support itself. \ man weighing
200 pounds on this earth would. II car
ried TO Jupiter. weigh 800 pounds. and
reasoning thus. they believe that moth
ing bigger than a cat could stand on
this vast world.
But this Is no doubt II mistake IL
Jupiter stood still or revolved no faster
than our earth all that astronomy says
would be true. and II terrestrial man
could not stand upon It's surface. But
as fact the tremendous rate OF revo-
luton Is SO much faster than the
carth's that Ia spite OF It's monstrous
size II turns about IN less than ten
hours as against our twentyfOur
hours.
As IL IL. mau of normal earthly
size. IL transported 10 the equator of
Jupiter. would actually feel much
lighter than he does here on earth. be-
cause the swift rotation OF the planet
would almost lift him from his feet
and throw him into the heavens lie
would feel so light that the go mile
an hour tornado that blows incessiInt-
~ would pick him up and carry him
around and around the planet like a
speck Of dust.
In order TO keep on his feet the
Jovian man or woman would have TO
he about fifty feet tall Some OF them
would doubtless reach the height of
ffty-fve feet Like all big bodies. the
.Iovian would have II tendency 10 slow
hess of motion. Having once seated
himself, he would spend good twelve
hours at his breakfast and perhaps
eighteen at his dinner and would prob
ably throw up his job II his employer
allowed him less than six hours for
his lunch
The oceans Of Jupiter torn into fury
by the hurricanes. would pay no atten-
ton 10 one moon such as moves the
tides on our earth. and II takes no
fewer than live of these satellites TO
perform this work for Jupiter. They
travel NJ various rates Of speed some
dying very close to Jupitcrs surface
and others far of They have atmos-
phercs somewhat like ours on earth.
and moonlight on Jupiter is indeed a
glorious sight. for these moons have n
variety OF coors. Two are blue, one
is yellow and one red.
Jupiter needs all its moons AT night
for illumination. for without them It's
five hours OF darkness would bc black
indeed So distant is the sun that
broad daylight IL hardly brighter than
twilight on earth and one lone moon
would not reflect enough OF the suns
rays To guide the Jovian footsteps.
In the polar and scmipolar areas the
go mile an hour tornado Of the equa-
tor is not present Doubtless there are
eddlcs ana occasional wlndstorms surh
as there are on earth Aud In these
localities 1t is possible for smaller
creatures To exist. and here. too. vege-
tation would flourish The food sup
ply of Jupiter must come from these
areas. where II Is cultivated aud ship.
ped To the equatorial regions by the
diminutive races The polar oceans
are not frozen because OF the great
internal heat of Jupiter. Aud on these
stil oceans probably ships not greatly
different from ours ply. but about the
equator the amending storm would
make surface sailing impossible.
II there nre ships nj all at the equa-
tor they are submarines. which dive
into the calm depths beneath the sur
face Locomotion by flying machines
Is extremely easy on the equator be-
cause. by taking advantage Of the
wind. the Jovians can navigate their
planet ut tremendous speed.
II is possible that because OF the
noise In the wind swept equator the
Jovian II deaf
Quite likely. on the other hand. he
has good ears. but with device. either
artificial or contributed by nature. for
stopping his ears. except when he
wishes 10 listen.
This tremendous. good natured Jo-
Wan has leather-lIke skin TO protect
himself from the scratches Of dying