Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-01-08

The solar system.
JAMES GoRpoN BENSErT, ESQ.
DEAR SIk:-It may be interesting 10 your .eausIs
10 have some Of the phenomena OF the ooiar system
pointed ont Matters and things that to the Astron,
omer and man of scientific attainments have ceased
to be wonders, may still be extremely curious TO
the many who have perhaps neither time nor oPPoi'
tunity to attend to such subjects. NH;
First then, with regard to Magnitude %
earth, on which we live, the diameter OF wh,cn -
about 800 miles, shall ta.e unity, aad mah1 @
standard bJ which to measure the magh''uu
Sun and Planets A.. ,hex of
AS all globes are to each other as the oaoes :"
their diameters, and as the Suns diameter - ,Es
$4,000 English miles, then find thai II WoI ia. rs
RIA 9IO worlds like this r nth to make gloce as
large as the Sun! y Mars
Passing by the planets, Mercur venus, VIII, ,h;,,
and the Moon each Of which Is smaller thah ''is
earth; and also Ceres Palas, Juno, and Nesta wno"
are thought to be the fragments OF Planet thSt paI
whose orbit was between that OF MARS ana 'uPie,,
which four above named are still smaller we cU U,
20 the Planet jupiter, with his four Moons LUIS
mighty world $4,000 miles in diameter, taxes ~ ..
our wears only TO make one OF his, so that MS 'oi
seasons ara each three years long, or other words
he takes nearly IL Of oar years to make ms annua
revolution in his orbit round the Sun; and IT would
take 3I2 worlds large the earth to equal his mag
nitude. independent OF his Moons.
The next planet in the system IS Saturn, whose
diameter is about 10 600 miles, and to make whose
magnitude, it would take 80 globes like the earth,
nde pendent of his seven Moons, or Satellites.
Herschel or the Georgium Sidus, whose diameter
is about $4,000 miles, and which Is the remotest
known planet in the Solar System, benga SUD-
100000 of miles from the San is equal IN magnitude
TO II globes like the earth independent oil his SIX sa
tcllites, or Moons.
According to the Mosaic account of the creation,
the planet Hersche is only about ~ years OLD, so
that a child born in Hersche, at the CREATION woud
now be of moderate age, and IN comiortaoie
living circumstances, provided they have good oham'
payne there o. r .-.
or in other words Herschel takes - OF our years
perform his annual course, in his croft roana eono
SUM- that he has made only 10 revolutions IN oooo
wears il will be therefore, that each OF MS
sons is nearly Is Of our years in length; ana nc MN
self according this is only ~ years OF age one
year of Saurns equal to nearly 50 OF our years. SO
That each of his seasons is nearly seven years
Ivish it were possible to know what Kind OF Hui'
ripen on the temperate of these great panets
The Inhabitants of Jup ter, Saturn, ana Herscne''
must have grand sport in sleigh riding ana otner IKE
.m,sements under the benign influence OF the splen.
did moonlight Of these planets, from ouf TO seven o
which Moons may be shining at the same time, oo'
casionally through their winters NO count the
ize of the inhabitants are in proportion to the mag
uitude of the globes which they respectively inhaoit'
What a them for contemplation! Moons are Ger
tainly not iven to those great worlds to give
mere OPAQUE mere ert matter.-No! He that gave
moon To inte!ligences on this world also gave IN
telligences, sentIent beings To appreciate the gn
Of the Moons OF Jupiter, Saturn, and herschei nj,
anaogical reasoning is as conclusive 10 my m'ho ~
the demonstrate OF any proposition In ueoneuy'-
God made ought in vain The inner ring OF
Saturn too, although casts deep shade on ms use
must necessarily throw brilliant reflected iight on
his dark side This planet rcvolves rouad It's axes "
less than eleven hours of time and the rings WIFI
1t.
.The.e, as they change, Al mighty FaAer,-,hess
'Are but the varied God. The rolling orb,
"Niaa marx. not TnEE marks not the mighty hand
THAT busy, wheels the Silent Spheres
Now with regard to the relative diame'ers Of tbt
Sun and Planets. In my library, where now write
stands ghteen inch celestial lobe: tins take a.
the diameter of the sun Jupters diameter then. IL
h. rafin will he L.
Saturn 9 10 inches; that Of Herschel 9lOths OF al
inch; aud that of the Earth about 23 linas' I'M
Earth looks like grain OF buckshot compared VIII
the Is inch globe 1 measure my projections from
scale Of ten lines to the inch. Mercurys diameter
about 4.hs Of a line.
Now, II we put all the Planets, primary and Sc
condary, together, their mass will not be more thar
about one seven hundreth part OF the mass OF thu
mighty God Of Day of the glorious Sun, which
IS DOT, full perfection through the rolling year."
Il it to he wondered then, that in lha early ages
the world, this luminary should become, from 1T
magnitude alone indie ndent Of its vital influence
an object of worship among men?
The Egyptians, II is said, were the first astrono
mers. This, | think, may be doubted tor the Chi
nese and the inhabitants Of Hindostan, according
TO Sir william Jones, were acquainted with astro
noy, and practised astrology long anterior to thu
II must be observed, that in the magnitudes Of tn
planets nave taken notice of their specihc gra
witty or density. which varies very considerably =
For example-the planet Mercury, whose orbit d
nearest TO The sun w uld make glebe nearly twice
as large as is, were its density no greater thai
that OF the earth. Thus a cubic mile of the meai
matter OF Mercary would make, il EXPANDED, abou
two cubic miles OF the matter Of the earth
The planets generally decrease in de.sity a thei
orbits recede from tie Sun, and this fact appear
contrary to the nature of caloc, which expands al
matter by is accumulation.
The subject is inexhaustible. In my next com
municaion shall give you some curious matter OF
the comparative velocites OF the heavenly bodies
both in their annual AMI diurnal notions to include
the Satellites Of Jupiter and rings Of Saturn.
Yours respectfully,
j. BENNETT,
Author Of the American System o
Practical Bookkeeping.
Arlington House, Dec. Both 1889.