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

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 removed from our distinct comprehen-
sion. Sir w. HerschelI, in endeaVoring
TO determine (" sounding line, as he calls
it, to 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-seyen 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 to be from the earth or the sun is
00;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, 6, $40, 200, 0O0,0 ,000,-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 approx
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 a 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
period of years before which all the du
ration that had passed since man was
placed on this globe appears only like {
few passing seconds, or "as handbreadtt
or span."
Here, then, let US pause for moment
and consider the august spectacle present
ed to view. We behold few whtisi
spaces in the armament, almost oyerlooket
by common observer when he casts
rude glance upon the evening sky; yet il
this apparently irregular belt, which ap
pears only like an accidental tinge on thu
face of the armament, we discover, by OBJ
teal instruments, what appears to be al
amazing and boundless universe. We be
hold not only ten thousands, but million
of splendid suns, where not single OIL
can be perceived by the unassisted eye
The distance at which luminous globes ar
placed from our abode, is altogether over
whelming; even the most lively imagina
ton drops its wing when attempting it
light into such unfathomable regions
The scenes of grandeur and magnifcenc,
connected with such august objects, ar,
utterly overwhelming to such frail and Ii
mIted beings as man, and perhaps ever
more exalted orders of intelligence ma,
hhu 1t difficult TO form even an approx
mate idea of objects so distant, SO hume
rous, and so sublime.
On our flrst excursions into the celestia
regions, we are almost frightened at th
ioea Oh me distance of such body a
Saturn, which cannon ball, proiecte,
from the earth, and flying with its utmos
velocity, would not reach in one bundre,
and eighty years. We are aston;sbod !
the size of such a planet as Jupiter, whicI
could contain within its Circumference,
more than thousand globes as large a
the earth. We are justly amazed at In,
stupendous magnitude Of the sun, which
Is thousand times the size of Jupiter, an,
which Eliminates with its splendor,
sphere Of more than five thousand million