The Sun.
London, England, 1870-02-02 00:00:00

A NEIV SYSTEM OF ASTRONOMY.

A book on the planetary universe calculated to
arrest attention has just been published by Dr. P. E.
Trastour de Verano, formerly State Geologist of
Louisiana in command of the first American Scien-
tific Expedition to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and
now engaged in scientific research in Nicaragua,
Central America. In this book the author boldly
challenges the truth of the received opinions on
astronomy, opposes the Copernican system, Kepler's
laws, and Newton's theory of gravitation, and sets
forth his protest in the following words :
Contrary to the teachings cf the system of Copernicus,
the only ono that now gives law to astronomy, the sun is
not placed in the centre of the planetary system, and the
earth and the planets do not revolve annually around that
luminary.
Contrary to the belief in the system of Ptolemy, the
earth is not situated in the centre of the universe, and the
sun and the planets do not accomplish their annual re-
volutions by revolving around it.
Contrary to the system of Tycho Brahe, the earth is not
motionless in the centre of the planetary system, and the
sun does not revolve annually around our globe, carrying
with it, in its revolution, all the planets that circulate
around it.

Contrary to the doctrine of the astronomers of our days,
the orbit of the earth and the orbits of the planets are
circles and not ellipses—Kepler having mistaken illusions
for realities in ascribing to the ellipse a power in space
which it does not and cannot possess.
Contrary to their doctrine, the moon dons not revolves
around the earth while the latter is said to revolve around
the sun.

Contrary to their doctrine, the earth, the moon, and the
planets pursue their course continually in the plane of the
ecliptic, and never go wit of it.
Contrary to their doctrine, tho diminution of the obli-
quity of the ecliptic is a chimerical idea.

Contrary to tlieir doctrine, the precession of the equi-
noxes, upon which the most important works of modern
astronomy arc based, is something that does not exist.
Contrary to their doctrine, the equinoctial points ant the
solstices always preserve their same positions.
Contrary to their doctrine, the terrestrial meridian varies
annually, and the latitudes and the starting point of longi-
tudes change from year to year.
Contrary to their doctrine, our civil year is not of con-
stantly equal duration, as their almanacs represent it.
There is never a year of duration equal to the one that
preceded or follows it.
Contrary to their doctrine, the Gregorian rectification
was founded upon no astronomical basis. Instead of pre-
venting it has augmented confusion ; at a future day
Easter will come round again in the middle of spring,
although the almanacs will call it winter, if they persist
in keeping the 21st day of March as the date of the spring
equinox.

(Juntrary to their doctrine, the climates of the earth are
not nearly invariable, but are subject to extreme vicissi-
tudes.

Contrary to their doctrine, the scars have a general
movement that carries them from west to east.

Contrary to their doctrine, at a future day the sun, the
planets, the moon and the stars will rise in the west and
set in the east.

Contrary to their doctrine, the dimensions, distances,
and movements of the planetary bodies, as set forth in
their compilations and tables, possess no reality whatever ;
for they have been determined without taking into account
one of the most indispensable conditions.
Contrary to their doctrine, no comet ever precipitates
itself into any sun whatever in the realms of space, or eau
in any event come ir to collision with the earth.
Contrary to their doctrine, Kepler's Jaws are but pure
illusions. It is only necessary to study them experiment-
ally in order to recognise the fact that they have not the
least connection with the fundamental law of celestial
mechanism.

Contrary to their doctrine, Newton's theory of gravita-
tion offers neither evidence nor probability. It is a fan-
tastic commentary, built upon the chimerical ideas of Kep-
ler, radically foreig❑ to all mathematical truth, and even
transgressit.g the limits of common sense. Newton stA pp :d.
beyond the sphere of the difficult only to enter into hu-
possibiiities.
The author considers that " the errors of modern
astronomy proceed from the fact that men have
made an article of faith of what is simply and purey
a question of science," and proceeds to disclose the
fact that the predictions of eclipses, from which the
Copernican system has undeservedly derived so
much weight, is nothing but the result of a long ex-
perimental labour, independent of all astronomi-
cal system, and limited to the observation of
the course of the sun, of the moon, and of the
periods ; that they can prove nothing in favour of
any system whatever, as they have been, and can
be, calculated in any and every system. After
speaking of the intimate and inseparable connection
existing between astronomy and geology he says:—
"The astronomy of the time we live in has to undergo
the fate of all human aberrations. It clings tena-
ciously to what is not, yet does not see what is.
One of the most remarkable arrangements that
responds to one of the most important astronomical
necessities of the planet we inhabit it overlooks
entirely. I refer to the mathematical regulation
that has collected all the land on one hemisphere of
our globe and covered the other with an immense
ocean—a mechanism transcendently simple, yet
which, more than any other, perhaps, throws into
relief the hand of the Creator by the geometrical
regularity of its results." Dr. Trastour not only
substitutes an entirely new mechanism of our plane-
tary system for Copernicus' solar system, but gives
a universal law in lieu of Newton's theory of gravi-
tation. By the aid of his diagrams the route that
the earth has traversed up to the present day and
all consequent phenomena can he traced ; and he
concludes with these words :—" One single sub-
stance, spread throughout the universe, is its origin,
its law, and its preservation."

The amalgamation of the Atlantic Cables meets
an unexpected opposition at Washington. Like the Ala-
bama claims, which might long ago have been settled by a
graceful and ready concession, the tenacity with which
the injudicious terms granted by France have been held
is rousing an American opposition which, unless speedily
relinquished, may assume a serious aspect to the French
Company. It is extraordinary that they do not see this,
and will not take the trouble to inform themselves of the
feeling in America, which, if they did, would quickly con-
vince them that their prni er course is to urge the Impe-
rial Government, on its part, to withdraw the concession,
and having procured the sanction, to tear the paper up and
throw it into the fire. The Foreign Relations Com-
mittee of the Sonata devoted an entire day to the subject,
and a clause has been inserted in the French Cable Bill
it is maturing, to prohibit such consolidation without the
consent of the Postmaster-General. The English lines
cross the ocean to English territory, but the French Cable
lands on the soil of the Republic, and most assuredly the
Government of the United States has a right to impose
conditions on telegraph companies landing Cables in the
Union.

The population of San Francisco by the Direc-
tory of 1869 is 172,050, including 8,600 Chinese and 2,850
coloured. lu 1868 it was 147,950, showing a gain in one
year of 24,100. This constitutes it the tenth city of the
population.
United States in point of