Astronomy in a nutshell : $b The chief facts and principles explained in popular language for the general reader and for schoolsServiss, Garrett Putman
Science
Astronomy in a nutshell : $b The chief facts and principles explained in popular language for the general reader and for schools
Serviss, Garrett Putman
Astronomy -- Juvenile literature
Saturn has ten satellites, all revolving outside the rings. The names of
nine of these in the order of increasing distance are: Mimas, distance
117,000 miles; Enceladus, distance 157,000 miles; Tethys, distance
186,000 miles; Dione, distance 238,000 miles; Rhea, distance 332,000
miles; Titan, distance 771,000 miles; Hyperion, distance 934,000 miles;
Japetus, distance 2,225,000 miles; and Phœbe, distance 8,000,000 miles.
The last, like the eighth satellite of Jupiter, revolves in a retrograde
direction. Only Titan and Japetus are conspicuous objects. The period of
Mimas is only about 22½ hours; that of Titan is 15 days, 22 hours, 41
min., and that of Japetus about 79 days, 8 hours. Barnard's measurements
indicate for Titan a diameter of 2720 miles. Japetus is probably about
two-thirds as great in diameter as Titan.
[Illustration:
=Photographs of Mars=
Made at the Yerkes Observatory by E. E. Barnard, with the forty-inch
refractor, September 28, 1909.
]
Beyond Saturn, in the order named, are Uranus and Neptune. The mean
distance of the former from the sun is 1,782,000,000 miles, and that of
the latter 2,791,500,000 miles. The orbit of Uranus is more eccentric
than that of Neptune. The diameter of Uranus is about 32,000 miles and
that of Neptune about 35,000 miles. The year of Uranus is equal to 84 of
our years, and that of Neptune to 164.78. These planets are so remote,
and so poorly illuminated by the sun, that the telescope reveals very
little detail on their surfaces. Their density is somewhat less than
that of Jupiter. Uranus has four satellites, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania,
and Oberon, situated at the respective distances of 120,000, 167,000,
273,000, and 365,000 miles. Neptune has one, nameless, satellite, at a
distance of 225,000 miles.
The most remarkable thing about these two planets is that their axes of
rotation, as compared with those of all the other planets, are tipped
over into a different plane, so that they rotate in a retrograde or
backward direction, and their satellites, in like manner, revolve from
east to west. The axis of Uranus is not far from upright to the plane of
the ecliptic, so that the motion of its satellites carries them
alternately far northward and far southward of that plane, but the axis
of Neptune is tipped so far over that the retrograde, or east to west,
motion is very pronounced. Neptune is celebrated for having been
discovered by means of mathematical calculations, based on its
disturbing attraction on Uranus. These calculations showed where it
ought to be at a certain time, and when telescopes were pointed at the
indicated spot the planet was found. Similar disturbances of the motions
of Neptune lead some astronomers to think that there is another, yet
undiscovered, planet still more distant.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account