Omaha daily bee., 1916-02-24
Inspiration of the Infinite



n I'VE your mind an inspiring breath from the In
VI finite OF space by looking at the planets
Venus and Jupiter. 80 conspicuous IN the
sunset sky Remember that they. too, are WORDS as
well the earth. Venus is probably inhabited; Jup
ter though more than a thousand times larger may
stll be too young planet 10 sustain lte at least
in any such forms as we acquainted with
As you look at them in the sky Venus appears to
be much the larger and brighter Of the two. That
is deception produced by distance Jupiter Is hun
Of millions OF miles distant. II they were
equally far from the earth Jupiter would outshine
Venus about 120 times. That is the proportion De-
tween the areas Of their respective surfaces.
Venus is very nearly Of the same size as the
earth In looking at Il, then, you see how the earth
would appear II could view it a hundred million
miles away. It would be only bright star. The
sunlight reflected from all it's oceans. continents and
clouds would be concentrated into brilliant point,
and this huge globe would be only diamond in the
sky"
Who that had never lived upon IT, looking at It thus,
would dream OF the races, nations. empires; Of
the wars conquests explorations OF the cities. pal
aces ships OF the Inventions rvaries apirations; or
Of mitless oonceit Of which It has long been
the center7 All these things in start And a mock
star at that for the real stars suns, not little
planets masdusradng in borrowed light
Jupiter and Venus for a few evenings appeared to
be drawing nearer together. About February IA they
resembled splendid double star and after that they
seemed to drift apart again. These, 700, were de-
ceptive Appearances. They were not moving toward
another at all, but each pursuing its own
orbit about the sun, while the earth from which VIC
looked at them also rushing swiftly in its
track But the speed OF each was different depending
upon its distance from the sun. which all these
motions and BESIDES Jupiter far outside the
earth path around the while Venus inside It,
and thus another complication introduced into
their relative motions as they were seen from tho
earth.
It is as IL our planet were a ship sailing in a
circle, and Jupiter and Venus other ships also sailing
Al
center but farther and the other nearer than
the EARTH and all three moving with ditferent speeds
You perceive how puzzlng that might be to a pas
senger. And then the other side OF the sky
il Mars. travelling in orbit between those OF the
earth and Jupiter and Just rising in the eastern
heavens while the others sinking in the western.
lie is in different part OF his circe-that is all
but he belongs to the fleet He has his red lantern
out. and it CLEANS menacingly like hostile signal.
Mars is the smallest of these planetary ships but
he looks moro formidable than any OF them
count Of his color. 1t is the hue OF He makes
the superstiuous afraid He is a grim, compact battle
ship II you look at him with telescope his bulgng
circle Of white polar at the edge Of the rudy
disk has, cannot tell what strange suggestions OF
aggressiveness. 1t shines like the doomed turret
gun.
There is yet another planet in this wonderful celes-
tia procession 1t is the ringed Saturn hanging in
mdheaven northeastward from Orion the rich con-
sellaon OF the Twins The circle that his ship fol-
lows is afar off, beyond the tacking of Jupiter
and though he shows well because his great bulk
yet there is something of the dmness and mystery
of secretive distance sn his look.
But turn your telescope upon him, and though
It be for the thousandanth time, repress
quick intake OF breath at the sight of those great.
strange rngsl What do they mean? Why that
huge world hung round with such garlands OF crowd
Ing cashing meteors which spin, circle within CIRCLE
and flash off the sunlight like whirng disks7
Those rings OF Saturn the relics n spinning
nebula which ages ago condensed into mistless
skeleton
Farther yet than Saturn. on a line OF sight passing
between him and Mars invisible to tho naked eye,
but to be seen-wth a glass. like faint sail on tho