Chapter 2

The water-rich surface of Saturn. The continental islands. Great glacial zones at the poles. The mild and pure central zone. Intense light atmosphere, light and temperature conditions. Saturn’s ring as a regulator and reflector. The splendor of the starry sky.

[2.1] Since we have been given the required introduction, we can dare and begin to take a look at the planet itself.

[2.2] Observe Saturn’s surface: The greatest part is water. On this planet there is no actual continent, but below the equator there are isolated major islands which are larger than Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Australia combined. However, because of Saturn’s size they cannot be considered as continents, but rather as islands, and they are farther apart from each other than Asia and America in the region of the equator on earth. In between these larger islands there are of course quite a number of smaller islands, which in proportion to the larger islands are the same as the smaller islands compared to the continents on earth.

[2.3] Towards the poles this celestial body is covered with permanent ice and snow; this zone begins at 400 (latitude) earlier than it does on earth. And what is described on earth as the moderate temperature zone is a region of snow on Saturn. And what is the frigid zone on earth is the region of permanent ice on Saturn. The zone which, on earth, is tropical is the moderate or pure zone on Saturn, where clouds or fog very seldom form, whereas the two other zones are under permanent fog and cloud.

[2.4] As rough and severe as are the northern and southern snow and ice zones, so bright, mild and pure is the central zone, which is the only inhabitable zone. In this zone there are 77 large islands, of which a medium-sized island is larger than the Americas. And each of these islands is, in its formation as well as in its products, more varied by far than Lapland is from the most southern tropical countries on earth.

[2.5] You will probably think that Saturn, because of its great distance from the sun, would be fairly dark, and that the temperature would not be too warm even at the equator. If you think that way, you are in error, because this planet has its own light, which is proportionately stronger to the same degree as it is larger than earth. This planet is also surrounded by an atmosphere which is a 1,000 times larger and farther reaching, with a diameter of almost 100,000 geographic miles, whereas the earth’s atmosphere does not even measure 2,000 geographic miles in diameter, inclusive of the earth’s diameter. Since Saturn’s atmosphere has such an extraordinarily large diameter, how many sunrays is this large air sphere capable of absorbing in order to conduct them in a broken line and in a more condensed form to the surface of this planet? This is also why the inhabitants of Saturn see the sun as being many times larger than do the inhabitants of earth. And through this, the heat around the equator would be unbearable if it were not tempered by the surrounding ring, which absorbs most of the condensed sunrays and partly makes use of them itself; the remainder it returns to the universe. That is why, through a telescope, the ring appears more illuminated than the planet itself, while its shadow has a very beneficial effect upon Saturn and, through this, the tropical or hot zone becomes a moderate zone.

[2.6] As a result of this ring, there is no night on Saturn in the same manner as there is on earth; there is, of course, day on the side facing the sun, but also on the opposite side, because the ring is illuminated on its inner side by the sun and the powerful light of this ring; in addition, the various orbiting moons often contribute to the illumination of the opposite side.

[2.7] In addition to this actual “night-light” or, to better understand this circumstance, “night-day,” comes a third light, which is the light of the fixed stars, which, when observed from Saturn, appears to be ten times stronger because of the planet’s pure and far-reaching atmosphere, and hence the stars also give off a light many times stronger than that which Venus, the evening star, does to earth in its brightest light.

[2.8] Now transpose yourself in your spirit onto a land in the central zone of this planet and observe from there the magnificent splendor of the starry sky! Truly, even if you were to heighten your imagination to the greatest extent, you would not be able to visualize a millionth part of the splendor which exists there, because on Saturn the night is lighter than daytime is on earth. And under the benevolent shadow of the ring, you never lose sight of the beautiful sun during the day. Especially if you go to the mountains and enjoy the immense view from there, the effect of the starlight below the ring is so multifarious in its blaze of colors that it is impossible for you to imagine.

[2.9] As far as the character of the countries in the central zone is concerned, the mountains and the rivers, the vegetation, the animal kingdom and the human beings, all of this will be revealed to you. But, for today, be satisfied with what has been given and contemplate on these matters. You will find that so far you have been given a large portion on which your spirit can and should find good nourishment. Everything else will be given to you in due time in so tar as it is comprehensible to you, and it will be given in the greatest, most unrestrained abundance. You must be very diligent, because you will receive an abundance of information. That is why I say be diligent! For today I say Amen!