The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-08-09
! BY something more than idls

by something more tnam 1nAe
curiosity"
Saturn 10 the sixth planet IN
order OF distance from the sun.
It IS the second in order OF size,
It's globe being about $50 times
as large as the earth. THIS
means in volume. or bulk. -
diameter is q little over nine
times that OF the earth. The vol
umes OF globes vary as the cubes
Of their diameters.
Saturn has been. conspicuous IN
the evening sky Of the earth this
summer because 1t has been on
the same side Of the sun, but,
being farther from the sun than
the earth Is, It appears in that
part of the sky which Is opposite
to the sun. 1t was exactly op"
posite to the sun in the middle
of May, since when 1t has been
apparently moving westward TO
meet the sun. The meeting
will occur on November 81, after
which Saturn will be q morning
star"
The mean diameter Of the
globe Of Saturn is about $4,000
miles, but there il q great differ
ence between its equatorial and
polar diameters, the former be-
ing about II. 400 miles and the
latter about $1,000; consequently
either pole OF Saturn Is about
1850 miles nearer the center OF
the planet than is any point on
its equator. On the earth, per-
son at either pole would be only
about thirteen miles nearer the
earth's center than one on the
equator.
Saturn lin which it resembles the
still larger planet Jupiter, Is no
doubt due to it's very rapid rota-
ton on it's axis, which Is per-
formed at the rate Of a turn IN
a. trifle more than ten hours.
Since the distance around Saturn's
equator is not less than 24O,OOOs
miles, It is evident thai. 1t sweeps
round at the enormous speed or
$4,000 miles per hour-twenty.
four times as fast as the eartn's
equator.
Gaseous Conditions
The probability is that Saturn's
globe, consists mainly Of gases,
Or else Of matter in q dust-or
smoke-like conditioner, con.
sidering the intense cold that
prevails there, as Tar as the
SUMS radiation Is concerneds
Saturn might be fancifully liken-
ed to a condensed, globular snow
storm, encircled by a concentItc
series of circular snow flurr1es,
frozen vapor such as sometimes
smite the faces OF climbers in the
High Alps.
One Of the best indications
that Saturn Is not solid globe
is the fact that its mean density
is SO small that it would float in
water. The density Is less than
three-quarters that of water. It
Is specifically the lightest Of all
the planets.
The rings Of Saturn-its most
peculiar feature-though nearly
10000 miles, across, are aston
ishingly thin, like vast circular
sheets. Their thickness may
average less than a hundred
miles. For this reason when
they are presented edgewise to-
ward the earth, as occurs once in
about fifteen years, powerful
telescope Is required to show
them in the form OF a slender
bar of light, stuck like a needle
through the bali of the planet.
There are two principal rings.
and, inside them a third, called
the "gauze" or Grape" ring,
whose density is so small that II
is partially transparent !. Gdathe-
mates and spectroscopic evidence
agree that the rings are com.
posed of immense numbers OF
particles.
Saturn has ten satellites, or
which only four or five can be
seen with ordinary telescopes.