The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1821-07-25
MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES.
ASTRONOMY.

The earth is u, SO < eat distance froT
the sun, that, If seen from thence, IL must ap-
pear no larger Than point, or what one OF
the remotest stars appear TO Us. Although
,he circu inference OF our earth is known to
be 2502o mies-yet that distance is 40 small,
compared with our distance from the fixed
stars, that II our earth was as large as It's
whole orbit round the sun, VIZ. 800 millions
Of miles, and seen from the dearest star, II
would then appear no bigger than point.
The earth, in going round rhc sun, is at GER
tain times OF the year, l63 million OF miles
nearer 20 some stars, than Others; and yet
sheit apparent magnitudes, situations and dis
iances from each other, sill eppcar the same
,s--and with telescope which will magnify.
200 times, their size is not scnstbly increas
ed which proves 20 be at least 400 thousand
simes farther off than We are from the sun
and thorc may DC rs great distance between
any Two neighboring stars, as there Is be-
tween our suO and the nearest star Ia that
body. BY the help OF telescopes, thousands
Of stars arc seen, which arc not discoverab'e
TO the naked eye--and the better the glasses,
the more become visbe--so that no bounds
can be set to their number or distance. Ii ~
supposed, by some astronomers, that thSse
o., worlds, or what we tern, stars, at such an
ipc onc civ able dis, ance, rs that their light has
oeyer vet reached tho earth, altho' the veioc.
iy Of light is a million OF times greater than
that of a ball from the cannon's mouth
IT, sun appears bright and large, in compar.
isyn TO the fixed stars, because we arc 80
much nearer 10 IL than the stars--and Tho ln-
habitants OF one Of those bodies, sees the
nea. est star 70 them as a sun and our SDn
as u sta. The stars shine with their ocn
natiye and unborrowcd iustrc, as the sun
docs--and siuce each particular star, as we'll
o. the sun, is conhood to particular potion
Of space, 1t IS plain that the stars are Of the
cam, nature Of the sun. Whoever innsgines
that the stars were crea,ed only to give
Is faint glimmering light upon our earth, must
have very supe rfciai knowledge os as;rono-
my, and narrow view Of Divine Wisdom
since, by an infinitely less excrtion OF Great
A-tng power, the Deity could have given the
6arth ono moro moon, and the suR'o ligh,
would have been. ctsrnaily reflected on our
Globe. Instead Of ono sun, and oDo worli
enly, 10 the universe, We discover such sn in.
conceivable number Of suns, sys,oms of
worlds, dispersed through boundless space,
that il our sun, With oil the planets, moons
and comets belonging to II, were annihiatcd.
they would DO no more missed, 10y the eye
that could sec the whole creation, than
grain of sand from the sea shore. Although
. Saturn is the fartheN off of our planetary
syst,ru, and reyolves round the sun in an or
Bit of Ass4 millions Of miles in circumfor-
epcs, ,nd some Of our comets mako circuit
Of 10000 millions of miles beyond the orbit
Of Saturn yet, at that amazing distance, they
arc incomparably nearer the sun, than to any
of tho stars, which is evident from their
kce ping cloar of all the stsrs, and returning
periodically by The power of tho suns attrae-
ton. From what we know Of our own sys.
TEN, We may reasonably conclude, that all
the rect are, with equal wisdom and power,
con,rived, situated, and provided with accom-
ynodations for rational Inhabitants.
BOs Erposier.
DOMESTIC MANUFACTURERS.
1t hs, now become unquestionsble that A |
merican broadcloths, cassimeres, sc. can be
furnished Of a. good and enc q texture as l
those imported Besurifal specimens oi
cloths from CrorniosheiId's Factory at Dan |
cara. Mssf Nerc exhibited iu THE town last