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

nitude, and the most brilliant, we will take
for example the ''dog star" By the pho
tometer we are enabled 10 ascertain the
comparative degrees of light emitted by
any two given objects; thus we may de-
termine how many times the light OF a
candle is multiplied by the light of gas
burner and SO with any objects of great
er or lessor magnitude. Now il has been
ascertained with almost mathematical pre-.
cision that the light of the sun exceeds
that Of the dog-star twenty thousand mil
lion of times; or in other words, twenty
thousand million dog-slars included in one
would give light equal to the sun. But
then the dog-star is sixty millions OF mil
lions of miles distant, while its light is
equal TO one twenty thousand miIlionIh
part of the light of the sun. How much
farther, then, than it now is must our sun
be removed from us to resemble tho dog
star? We shall find that at lao, 900 times
its present distance it would appear TO us
exactly as the dog-star does. The dog
star, then is sun like ours, and being at
a distance 100000 time greater than ours,
it must be al least equal TO ii of our suns
If our sun, then, was placed we're the dog
star is, it would appear Ii times less than
that star.
We have thus spoken Of that portion Of
the universe laid before The unasssied eye
But when we apply TO telescope aid of
only moderate power, and address our
selves TO the armament, new and I'M
thought Of wonders challenge our adj
miralion and surprise. Sir John llerschel,
it is well known, constructed telescope Of
every extraordinary power, lamiliarly
known as the the ,'Iory foot telescope. y
This telescope augmented The range Of
the human eye 200 times IFS natural pow
or, and of course enable the observer TO
sec stars actually 200 times farther of
than those he could see with the naked
eye, and of course made visible all those
which occupied an intermediate position;
and the distance of myrlads of these re-
mote orbs is thus clearly proved so for to
exceed that of those of which we have
heretofore spoken as visible to the unas.
sisted eye, that a ray of light from them
cannot be less than tDenty thousand gears
in reaching the earth, being Of course
1900 times 100 years. But even now We
have only glimpse of the wonderous
works of Him who has thus partly unfol-
ded to US the evidence of His majesty and
power.
We find upon careful observation Of
the position Of our system that we occupy
a place in the midst of one of those ex-
tensive strata of stars which we discover
in the armament We appear TO have
our position in nearly the centre of this
group, and which is familiar to us as a
white belt Of light, and popularity known
as the milky way. That milky appear
ance, however it is perhaps generally
known, is caused by innumerabe stars,
and finding ourselves in nearly the centre
of them, we may well exclaim surely this
is the Universe. Aasi alasl not so! Alasl
for the Pomp and dignity of our nature,
our whole system, sun, planets, satellites
and all, are but solitary unit amongst
thousands, and thousands of thousandsl-
We discover in our ordinary observations
a great number of stars apparently sur
rounded with hazy, hocculous, or cloud
like appearance, and occasionally we per-
ceiye little patches of white light. These
phenomena are developed by the teIes.
cope, and prove 10 be in fact masses Of
stars, each single one of which beyond all
doubt, exists at the same relative distance
from any other that we hold with regard
to those which are nearest 10 us. And
even through the interstIces which are thus
presented we discover again countless
masses Of other stars. OF these appear.
ances Of fioccula or nobuln, Herschel and
other astronomers have registered no less
than ten thousand. Thus then il would
seem that the universe is nterminable,
and could we be transported to the most
remote point oil telescope vision, we should
still find, reasoning from facts and the
fairest differences from them, that new
stars would beam upon US from points
equally remote beyond. Such is the the.
atre OF divine operaton-such the illimi-
table field of His skill, His fidelity and His
power. Il has been said that science is a
source Of infdelity. Not so. He would be
mad indeed who would essay the proof
The contemplation of the works Of d.
vine wisdom assures US of the truth Of re-
ligion, and convinces the mind as we view
the works themselves, that the hand thai
made them is divine Let US remember
loo in this connection the wonders Of The
animalculae, and the marvellous proof o.
the divine hand exhibited in benefcen
kindness, where il was never known OF
suspected until the microscope unloldeC
the wonderful system Of life in an unseer
world. Then through the various grada
lions Of animated life, carry the mind up
wards to the contemplation and the vas
powers with which man has been invested
in tho physical and intellectual machinery