The Planet Jupiter

Karly in the evening, a bnlliant star comes looming above the Eastern horizon. It is the brightest and largest star in the firmament, and illuminates the sky with its soft light, during the wholo night. 'Jhis beaming star is Júpiter, the Princc of Planets. He is in the constellation Leo, cast of its leading brilliant Rcgulus. But no help is needed to recognize him; a glance at the heavcns is sufiicient, for he so far surpasses the other members of the starry throng, that lie is almost as readily known as the moon. He will rise earlier and increase in radiance as the months roll on, reachIng the culminating point in January, and continuing to be throughout the winter the most conspicuous star in the heavens. Even a small telescope will bringhira out as a very beautiful object, with bis quartet of ïnoons and his belts of prismatic hues. In a powerful telescope, he is beautiful beyond expression, wit ii his stately and maiestic bearing. The men of science will improve the present favorable comlitions for renewed study of the Jovian disc. So familiar are the features and so wellknown the colors of the belts, that not even the slightèst change will escape the scrutiny of practiced obsen en who make the study of this planet a specialty. Not a favorable night will be unimproved, not a spot or mark will be undetoeted. Anything ncw on the face of the planot will bo as easQj noted as a pimple on the face of a member of one's own faniily. For spots, rifts, and bolts of changingform and luie are the Jovian alphabet through which wc hold convor.se with our distant brother. Hcre we see the evidencc of the chaotic condition of the mighty sphere and of its primeval tires yet unquenched by time. The famous red spot gave a pecp into the nucleus of the planot through the bursting cloudatmosphere. The chango of form in the belts, the now ones that spring into being, and the variod tints are proofs of tho tremendous currents and lierco storms that agitatc the eucoinjpassing clouds. They are the neces6aryagents tliat in process of time wil] cool down Jupiter's mighty mass, and bring on, millions of ages henee, the perfection of developmont that the