Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-01-29

comparative degrees Of light emitted b.
any two given objects; thus we may de-
termine how many times the hrht Of a
candle is multiplied by the light Of a gas
burner, and so with any objects Of great /
er or lessor magnitude. Now Il has becn 4
ascertained with almost mathematical pre- E
cision thar the light Of the sun exceeds T
tina: of the dog-star twenty thousand mall 7.
lion of times; or in other words, twenty .
thousand million dog-stars included ia enc
would give a light equal - the sun kus
then the dog-star II sixty millions Of ul3- +
lions Of miles distant, while Us light 4
equal to one twenty thousand ml.hln'h
part Of the light Of the sun. How much
farther, then, than IT now l. must our sun
be removed from Us 70 resemble the dog
star! We shall find thar al 10000 times
its present distance 1t would appear 70 Us
exactly as the dog-star does. The dog
star, then IS q sun Ike OUrS, and Icing az
4 distance 100000 time greater than ours,
it must be at least equal 10 II Of oar SUBS
If our sun, then, was placed we're the da--
star Is, 1t would appear Il times less than
that star.
We nave thus spoken Of that po-tion Of
the universe laid before the UuasSiSte1 eve.
But when We apply to telescope aid Of
only moderate power, aud address our
selves 10 the armament, ucw ani ua-
though of wonders challenge our adj
miratl5n and surprise. SIR John Iie-s-hel.
it IS well known, constructed q telescope OF
every extraordinary power, familiarity
known as the the ,'.or,y foot icles cure. -
| This telescope augmented she range o.
the human eve 200 times is natzr1l pow
er, and Of course enable the observer Co
see stars actually 200 times farther I'll
than hose be could see with the naked
eve, and Of course made visible at. these
which occupied an intermediate pesi.iaa-
and tie distance Of myrals o. these re-
mote orbs Is thus clearly proved So .8rt1
exceed that of those of wbi-h we have
heretofore spoken as visible o. ,le Gu-s-
sisted eye, that q ray Cf hglt from them
cannot be less than treE'E tb1rsIu1 -cars
IN reaching the earth, bsiHr Cd course
goo times 100 wears. Bat cgeu alI ~
have only a glimpse Cd The wen 'crcus
works Of HIM who has jhls partly Unsci
tded % us the evidence of ais naajesiyaa
power.
! We find upon a careful observation q.
the position OF our system that ne occupy
la place in the midst If one oF those cx
), Itensiye strata Of sarS which sc dIscove.
in the armament. We appear 20 have
our position IN nearly the centre Of thls
> group, and which ~ familiar % as As
white belt of light, and popularity know,
, as The milky way. Tia, milky appear
: ance, however 1t Is perhaps generally
: known, is caused by iuuumerable stars
: and finding ourselves IN nearly the ceutr,
: Of them, we nav we'll exclaim SURELY tAi
: IS the Universe. Alasi a'asi net 50. Alas
I, for the Fomp and dignity If cur nature
: our whole SYSTEM sun, planets, safe. l,e
!, and all, are but solitary unit am1ngs
e thousands, and thousands OF th0usauisi-
! We discover in our ordinary observatan
n great number Of stars apparently slr
$ rounded with hazy, flocculous. or cloud
Il like appearance, and occasionally we. per
: ceive little patches Of white light. Ties
t phenomena are developed By The tslcs
o cope, and prove 10 he in fact masses @
d stars, each single one of which beyond .
= doubt, exists al the same relative disanc
! from any other that We hold with reg tr
e to those which are nearest 70 us. An
:, even through the interstsees which are thu
Q presented we discover again counties
II masses Of other stars. O. these appeal
0 ances Of loccula or nebalP. Herschel ar
d other astronomers have registered 10 les
q than ten thousand. Thus thea i wou,
seem that the universe IS iatermsn45. b.
y and could We be transported 10 TIE M
5 remote point OF telescope FisI0n, We shaul
: still find, reasoning from facts and d
! fairest differences from thern, THAI ne
le stars would beam upon Us from posa
D. equally remote beyond Such IS The th'
'r atre OF divine operation-such the lam
Is table field Of His skill, Ills fidelity and Il
A. power. II has been said that science +
i'd source of lnfidelity. Not 50. lie w0u.d
g mad indeed who would essay The prof
lie The contemplation Of tie wOrks ot {
n vine wisdom assures Us Of the truth Of q
e ligion, and convinces the mind as We We
10 the works themselves, that the hanI ~
T. made them IS divine Let rs rememo.
is too in this connection The wonders OF 4
l. anlmalculae, and the marvellous proof
IN the divine hand exhibited IN beae3ce
so kindness, where IL vas never kno~a
rs suspected until the microscope unio.t.
re the wonderful system Of life IN an unse'
Il, world. Then through the various ga
O. lions Of animated life. carry TIE nia1 Z
n wards p the contemplation and the v
to powers with which man has been lavcst
On IN the physical aud intellectual machlae
Il. of axiSfance. fher, trr a. "a, l.lrra.ls IL.