Imperial Valley press., 1916-02-25
SOME PLANETARY NEIGHBORS
ARE IN SIGHT NOW

To those interested in the heavens
an unusually interesting and impos-
ing picture is now presented in the
evening sky, and will be during
March. At this time our largest and
our most brilliant planets, Jupiter and
Venus, are in close proximity, in the
west, for two hours after sunset. A
little later Mercury. the wee little
hot planet nearest the sun, will be
visible to the naked eye about sun
rise, for a few days only. while Mars
and Saturn are in plain view high
overhead.
Venus, our nearest neighbor toward
the sun, with Mercury, is one of the
two planets whose orbits lie between
us and the center Of our solar system
She is only $1,000 coo miles from the
sun. and at times within 26,000,000
miles of the earth, or about half as
far away from US as Mars, at her
her assigned distance. She is never Wis
ible late at night-as she can never
get on the side of the earth opposite
20 that occupied BY the run.
Of all of the planets Venus is most
like the earth, its diameter, 1900 miles,
being only 400 miles less than ours,
and its density nine-tenths ours. Fur
Their than its distance, size, rotation
and density we know little about We
nus. The old theory of its dense at
mosphere is now generally discarded.
It's markings have never been suspect
ed of supporting human life.
! Jupiter is unlike Venus in all re-
spects save possibility in identity of
matter. He is the largest of the plan
cts, has nine moons-one almost as
large as the earth-and is incapable
of supporting life as we know it. He
is 4O0.OOOO 900 miles from the sun, &c.
600 miles in diameter, cold and IN
feeling. AS a spectacle he is gor-
geous, in size enormous, as a neigh
Dor peaceable and well-behaved. OF
course. we have never become intimate
with him.
Of Saturn and Mars much has been
written, though nothing of intense hui
man interest. Saturn is farther away
than Jupiter by almost IS per cent,
ard boasts the NEST elaborate plane
tary decorations Of any Of our solar
family. His rings are the wonder and
admiration Of every one who has seen
them, but he is, like Jupiter, nebu-
lous or gaseous mass, beyond social
possibilities as we know them. His
rings are mere varorous Transparent
cies which surround him in thin
disc, coming 10 nearer his surface
than 10000 miles and extending up
ward ten times that distance, while
100 miles thick. Aside from this, Sat
urn has few moons, disagreeable
climate, and 40 political parties.
Mars is different-rnorc Ike Venus.
He has been suspected Of having If
rigation canals and so einsort OF
population, but this is the only thing
against him. He is al 100000 miles
from the sun, Of a reddish on?2leyion,
a little freckled, and seems to be peer
ing at Us through mesh of crossed
wires. Astronomers say he has for
ests, arid lands and much open sea.
His polar aspects vary with his sea-
sons.
Mercury is mere vest-p0cket edi
ton Of a planet, only 36,000,000 miles
from the sun, uninhabitable by earth
like animal life. He travels at a fear
ful rate of speed in his orbit and has
T. day Of doubtful duration, though
probably about that of the earth. If
you weigh $50 pounds here you would
weigh two tons on Mercury, if you
could get there-enough to flatten you
out like a jellyfish under a trip-ham-
mer. Mercury, of course, is without
social standing or aspiration, and to-
tally unprepared to meet Germany on
her way to the sun.
But the fetching thing about these
planetary neighbors just now is their
simultaneous appearance and their
striking brilliancy in the heavens.
They are well worth searching out
and being given the once overlook
lard Enquirer.