If picked up soon after it falls, a meteoric stone is found to be very hot on the outside while the inside is cold. One constant characteristic by which it may be identified is the fused, black, thin and glossy crust, somewhat like varnish, which coats the surface of the meteoric stone. This surface crust is thin and sharply defined from the inner mass.
The predominating element in one class of meteorites is iron, generally combined with a small amount of nickel. Copper, tin, cobalt and other substances are also found, but never silver or gold. Stony meteorites are, however, more common than iron meteorites.
The velocity of meteors, or shooting stars, varies from 12 to 40 miles a second. Herschel estimates their average height above the earth at the time of their appearance as 73 miles, and 52 miles at the time of their disappearance.
CHAPTER XIII
VENUS AND JUPITER
THE BRIGHT PLANET OF VENUS, THE GODDESS OF LOVE
Diameter—7,700 miles
ALMOST every one knows Venus, the beautiful Evening Star, which is also, by the way, an equally beautiful Morning Star. In ancient times the Greeks believed these to be two different stars, calling the Morning Star "Phosphorus," the torchbearer who lights the way for the Dawn, and the Evening Star "Hesperus," leader of the stars of night. These names were translated into Latin as Lucifer and Vesper. The Morning Star was the son of Astræus and Aurora and the Evening Star a brother of the Titan Atlas. Pythagoras is said to have been the first to identify Hesperus with Phosphorus.
"Now glowed the firmament
With living sapphires: Hesperus, that led
The starry host, rode brightest."
—Milton.
The dates that Venus may be seen are announced in the Almanac. Always look in the west after sunset for this lovely star, or in the east before sunrise, never in either case more than 48 degrees away from the sun. It follows the sun so closely that it is never seen more than four hours after sunset.