THE RINGED PLANET 39 



THE KINGED PLANET. 



DURING the months of September, October, and November, Mars 

 and Saturn are companions as evening-stars. It will not be dif- 

 ficult to recognize them, though the ruddy glories of Mars have been 

 greatly reduced since July and August, when he shared with Jupiter 

 the dominion over the western skies after sunset. The dull-yellow 

 lustre of Saturn differs markedly from the red but more star-like light 

 of Mars ; and, as the two planets draw near to each other late in No- 

 vember (making their nearest approach on the 20th), it will be inter- 

 esting to observe the contrast between the red and yellow planets of 

 the solar system. Striking, however, as this contrast will be found to 

 be, it is insignificant compared with the real contrast which exists be- 

 tween the two planets. Mars is the least but one of the primary mem- 

 bers of the solar family, and, although he pursues a course outside the 

 earth's, he is unlike all the other superior planets in being unaccom- 

 panied by any moon ; his small orb, also, appears to have but a shal- 

 low atmospheric envelope, while in physical constitution he apparently 

 occupies a position between the earth and the moon. Saturn, on the 

 other hand, is inferior only to Jupiter in dimensions and mass, while 

 he is superior to Jupiter not only in the astronomical sense that he 

 travels on a wider orbit, but in the extent and importance of the scheme 

 over which he bears sway ; his orb, moreover, like that of Jupiter, ap- 

 pears to be the scene of marvelous processes of change, implying a 

 condition altogether unlike that of the earth on which we live. 



We propose to give a brief sketch of what has been ascertained 

 respecting this wonderful planet, the most beautiful telescopic object 

 in the whole heavens, and the one which throws the clearest light upon 

 the nature of the solar system, and particularly of those giant planets 

 which circle outside the zone of asteroids. 



We would at the outset impress upon the reader the necessity of 

 raising his thoughts above those feeble conceptions respecting Saturn 

 and his system which are suggested by the ordinary pictures of the 

 planet. When we see Saturn presented as a ball within a ring, or 

 more carefully pictured as a striped globe within a system of rings, 

 we are apt to regard the ideas suggested by such drawings as affording 

 a true estimate of the planet's nature. In fact, many believe that the 

 planet and its rings are really like what is presented in these pictures. 

 It should be understood that what has been actually seen of Saturn by 

 telescopic means cannot, in the nature of things, afford any true pict- 

 ure of the planet and its ring system. The picture must be filled in, 

 not by the imagination, but by the aid of reason ; and then, though 

 much will still remain unknown, we shall have at least a far juster 

 conception of the glories of the ringed world than when we simply 



