Astronomy for amateurs . fected in9 hours, 55 minutes, 40 seconds. We are confronted with a strange and mysteriousworld. It is the world of the future. This giant gravitates in space accompanied by asuite of five satellites. These are: Names. Distance from surface of Jupiter. Time of Miles. Days. Hours. 5 200,000 124,000 II 1. lo 430,000 266,000 i 18 2. Europa 682,000 422,840 3 13 3. Ganymede 1,088,000 674,560 7 4 4. Callisto 1,914,000 1,186,680 16 16 The four principal satellites of Jupiter were dis-covered at the same time, on the same evenings (Jan- 154 THE PLANETS ua
Astronomy for amateurs . fected in9 hours, 55 minutes, 40 seconds. We are confronted with a strange and mysteriousworld. It is the world of the future. This giant gravitates in space accompanied by asuite of five satellites. These are: Names. Distance from surface of Jupiter. Time of Miles. Days. Hours. 5 200,000 124,000 II 1. lo 430,000 266,000 i 18 2. Europa 682,000 422,840 3 13 3. Ganymede 1,088,000 674,560 7 4 4. Callisto 1,914,000 1,186,680 16 16 The four principal satellites of Jupiter were dis-covered at the same time, on the same evenings (Jan- 154 THE PLANETS uary 7 and 8, 1610), by the two astronomers who werepointing their telescopes at Jupiter. GaHleo in Italy,and Simon Marius in Germany. On September 9, 1892, Mr. Barnard, astronomer ofthe Lick Observatory, California, discovered a newsatellite, extremely minute, and very near the enormousplanet. It has so far received no name, and is knownas the fifth, although the four principal are numberedin the order of their Fig. 46.—Jupiter and his four principal satellites. The four classical satellites are visible in the smallestinstruments (Fig. 46): the third is the most volumi-nous. Such is the splendid system of the mighty , doubtless, this fine planet illuminated the troop ofworlds that derived their treasure of vitality from himwith his intrinsic light: to-day, however, these moonsin their turn shed upon the extinct central globe thepale soft light which they receive from our solar focus. ASTRONOMY FOR AMATEURS illuminating the brief Jovian nights (which last less thanfive hours, on account of the twilight) with their variablebrilliancy. At the distance of the first satellite, Jupiter exhibitsa disk fourteen hundred times vaster than that of the FullMoon! What a dazzling spectacle, what a fairy scenemust the enormous star afford to the inhabitants of thattiny world! And what a shabby figure must our Earthand Moon present in the face of such a body, a realmin
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectastronomy, bookyear19
