Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-05-07
M tsrrIIamp

DISTANCES OF STARS IN THE Milky
WAY.-ln regard to the distances Of some
Of these stars, we may easily conceive
that they are immense, and consequently
far renewed from our distinct comprehen-
sion. SirW. Herschell, in endeavoring
to determine a " sounding line" as he calls
it, 10 fathom the depth Of the stratum of
stars in the Milky Way, endeavors to prove,
by pretty conclusive reasoning, that his
twenty-feet telescope penetrated to dis
lance in the profundity Of space not less
than four hundred ninety-seven times the
distance Of Sirius; so that stratum Of
stars amounting TO 497 in thickness, each
of them as far distant beyond another as
the star Sirius is distant from our sun, was
within the reach of his vision when look
ing through that telescope. Now, the
least distance at which we can conceive
Sirius 10 be from the earth or the sun is
20,0O0,000;000,000, or twenty billions of
miles; and, consequently, the most distant
stars visible in his telescope must be four
hundred and ninety-seven times this dis
lance, that is, $780, 100000, 000,O0O,-or
nearly ten thousand billions Of miles! Of
such immense distances it is evident we
can form nothing approaching TO dis
tinct conception. We can only approxi-
mate TO rude and imperfect idea by esti-
mating the time in which the swif!est boz
dies in nature would move over such vast
spaces. Light, which is endowed with the
swiftest degree of motion yet known, and
which flies at the rate Of nearly twelve
millions of miles every minute, would re-
quire one thousand six hundred and forty
years before it could traverse the mighty
interval stated above and cannon-ball,
flying at the rate of five hundred miles an
hour, would occupy over 2,267 100000,
or two thousand two hundred and sixty
seven millions eight hundred thousand
years, in passing through the same space I!
aperod Of years before which all the du-
ration that had passed since man was
! placed on this globe appears only like a
few passing seconds, or "as handbreadlh
( or spen."
Here, then, let US pause for moment,
and consider the august spectacle present.
ed to yiew We behold few whiiish
spaces in the armament, almost overlooked
by a common observer when he casts a
rude glance upon the evening sky; yet in
this apparently irregular belt, which APP
pears only like an accidental tinge on the
face Of the armament, we discover, by OPP
teal instruments, what appears to be an
amazingand boundless universe. We be-
hold not only ten thousands, but millions
Of splendid suns, where not single OIL
can be perceived by the unasssted eye
The distance at which luminous globes arc
placed from our abode, is altogether over
whelming; even the most lively magma
lon drops lis wing when attempting it
light into such unfathomable regions
The scenes Of grandeur and magniicenct
connected with such august objects, arr
utterly overwhelming to such frail and Ii
mlted beings as man, and perhaps ever
moro exalted orders Of intelligence ma,
lind il difficult 10 form even an approx
mate idea Of objects SO distant, SO hume
rous, and 50 sublime.
On our ilrst excursions into the celestia
regions, we are almost frightened at tn
yea Of the distance Of such body q
Saturn, which a nonball, projecte
from the earth, and flying with its utmos
velocity, would not reach in one hundre
md eighty years. We are astonished q
'hc size Of such planet as Jupiter, whicl
could contain within lis circumference
more than a thousand globes as large a
no earth. We are justly amazed at III
s'upendous magnitude Of the sun, whic
salhousand times the size Of Jupiter, al
winch Eliminates with its splcndor,
Pnere Of more than five thousand million