New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-19
KING SATURN
Three hinged Planet an Interesting
Subject for Celestial Observer.


To the Editor Of the Tribune.
Sir: Just at present, and indeed CURING
the remainder OF this month and the
month OF December, the ringed planet
Saturn is conspicuously visible. rising
CNovember l6 around p. m, or nor long
after sunset. In the city, owing 10 its
lofty roofs and buildings, this conspicu-
GUS planet (. often hidden from our sight
for several hoI RS after rising; and the
atmospheric conditions Of the metropolis
are, even at the clearest. seldom satis-
factory and ideal Nevertheless, on any
fair night tsround 9 to l0), We may see
and study this remarkable planet ts
ornamental position being against the
background of the constellation Taurus
(the Build, in the southeastern and south
ern heavens, the constellation that pos
se.ses the bright, rudy sun Aldeoaran
and the haze-like cluster Of minute suns
called the Pleiades. There is also an
other bright, sparkling sun In that re-
gion OF the sky, named Capelia; but we
should have no difficulty In detecting
Saturn, chiefly because OF its calm, I'M
winking, placid light and because or It's
yellowish tint or color.
There are certain peculiar character
istics about this yeliowish planet that are
known TO astronomers. First. OF course
IL It's wonderful ring system consist
ing OF three rings or circles entirely sur
rounding the planetary body. The outer
most Of these three rings Is some lZ"'
miles in width, the middle ring some H.
900 miles. while the innermost ring, near
est TO the body Of the planet, called tho
Grape ring" owing to its darker appear
ance, Is about 1900 miles in width. The
body Of the planet-the planet proper
has a mean diameter OF n,oW miles,
while the aggregate diameter, Including
the three rings approximates about w.
COO miles. The proper or bodily diameter
OF Saturn gives him a size or volume some
100 times that OF our earth. As We should
expect from his vast size, Saturn weighs
many times the weight of our world, but,
owing to his remarkably small density
only is-lOoth that of our planet-he has
but S times the mass Of weight OF the
earth, and. accordingly, possesses gray
ity or pull towards his centre OF only
a little more than the terrestrial gravity
or 'pulr'-one and eighteen one-hun-
dredth times.
There are other peculiar characteristics
Of this yelowish planet, such as his mean
or average distance from US, approximat-
Ing 800 10000 miles-it IS about $4,000"
miles from the earth TO our sun
and such as his year" or time or one
revolution around King Sol, more than
10000 days. our own year being, Of course
some $751; days. Around this solar orbit
or revolution the planet Saturn travels
with what seems a high velocity-six
miles per second; but his orbital velocity
appears less speedy when we remember
that our own planets journey around the
sun averages about lSiz miles to the sec
ond. In addition 10 these distinguishing
end in addition to Its sys-
tenn OF three rings, which are composed
of swarms or myriads OF minute parti-
cles. King Saturn possesses number or
moons or satellites, such as Titan ny
perion, Phoebe and Rhea. In fact' IN
all, Saturn possesses ten known moons
or satellites, the largest OF which, Tltan'
q diameter OF perhaps 800"
miles AS we all know, our own little
planet has only one such moon, and that
moon OF ours, Queen Luna, possesses
a much smaller diameter than that OF
Titan OF Saturn, the lunar diameter ap-
@ mean or average or 2,lS2
miles. CHARLES MEYERS HOLMES.
BOSTON. Nov Is, 1913.