Astronomical Curiosities: Facts and FallaciesGore, J. Ellard (John Ellard)
Science
Astronomical Curiosities: Facts and Fallacies
Gore, J. Ellard (John Ellard)
Astronomy -- Miscellanea; Solar system -- Miscellanea
Chacornac found that the illumination of Saturn's disc is the reverse of
that of Jupiter, the edges of Saturn being brighter than the centre of the
disc, while in the case of Jupiter--as in that of the sun--the edges are
fainter than the centre.[157] According to Mr. Denning, Saturn bears
satisfactorily "greater magnifying power than either Mars or
Jupiter."[158]
At an occultation of Saturn by the moon, which occurred on June 13, 1900,
M. M. Honorat noticed the great contrast between the slightly yellowish
colour of the moon and the greenish tint of the planet.[159]
In the year 1892, when the rings of Saturn had nearly disappeared, Prof.
L. W. Underwood, of the Underwood Observatory, Appleton, Wisconsin
(U.S.A.), saw one of Saturn's satellites (Titan) apparently moving along
the needlelike appendage to the planet presented by the rings. "The
apparent diameter of the satellite so far exceeded the apparent thickness
of the ring that it gave the appearance of a beautiful golden bead moving
very slowly along a fine golden thread."[160]
In 1907, when the rings of Saturn became invisible in ordinary telescopes,
Professor Campbell, observing with the great Lick telescope, noticed
"prominent bright knots, visible ... in Saturn's rings. The knots were
symmetrically placed, two being to the east and two to the west." This was
confirmed by Mr. Lowell, who says, "Condensations in Saturn's rings
confirmed here and measured repeatedly. Symmetric and permanent." This
phenomenon was previously seen by Bond in the years 1847-56. Measures of
these light spots made by Prof. Barnard with the 40-inch Yerkes telescope
show that the outer one corresponded in position with the outer edge of
the middle ring close to the Cassini division, and the inner condensation,
curious to say, seemed to coincide in position with the "crape ring."
Prof. Barnard thinks that the thickness of the rings "must be greatly
under 100 miles, and probably less than 50 miles," and he says--
"The important fact clearly brought out at this apparition of _Saturn_
is that the bright rings are not opaque to the light of the sun--and
this is really what we should expect from the nature of their
constitution as shown by the theory of Clerk Maxwell, and the
spectroscopic results of Keeler."[161]
Under certain conditions it would be theoretically possible, according to
Mr. Whitmell, to see the globe of Saturn through the Cassini division in
the ring. But the observation would be one of great difficulty and
delicacy. The effect would be that, of the arc of the division which
crosses the planet's disc, "a small portion will appear bright instead of
dark, and may almost disappear."[162]
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