Page:Astronomy for Everybody.djvu/237

Among the planets, Saturn is next to Jupiter in size and mass. It performs its revolution round the sun in twenty-nine and a half years. When the planet is visible the casual observer will generally be able to recognise it without difficulty by the slightly reddish tint of its light, and by its position in the heavens. During the next few years it will be in opposition first in summer and then in autumn, about twelve or thirteen days later each year. Starting from August, 1903, opposition will occur in August of 1904-'05, September of 1906-'08, October of 1909-'10, and so on. At these times Saturn will be seen each evening after dark in the eastern or southeastern sky, moving toward the south as the evening advances. It looks a good deal like Arcturus, which, for a few years to come, will be visible at the same seasons, only high up in the south or southwest, or lower down in the west.

Although Saturn is far from being as bright as Jupiter, its rings make it the most magnificent object in the solar system. There is nothing else like them in the heavens, and it is not surprising that they were an enigma to the early observers with the telescope. To Galileo they first appeared as two handles to the planet. After a year or two they disappeared from his view. We