New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-03-23

reVOllIon
was not until the great instrument called the Heiome.
ter-constructed By Frsuenhofer 10 whom have be.
lore referred, and mounted by Bessel Of konigsberr
was made that the problem Of the parsllsx was
resumed By Herscbel With this instrument be found
he could measure great and minute distances in the
same field Of view, with precision. He directs his
efforts 10 the examination Of star, moving with
great repidity. ! refer 10 the star numbered 81 In
the constellation OF the Swan. After years Of ex.
animation, be able draw out from the inhnie IL
rna movements Of those delicate objects
OF motion which was not accounted for IN any other
wsy than by the change produced Ia the relative pOs
tons OF the two stare effected BY the revolution Of the
Earth In ia orbit II went on giving its changes regu
larry. he went through the investigation again the
succeeding year-hls previous results were verified,
and nnsuy he announced 10 the world that ne had
brought out the psraax Of this starhe had determined
the angle under which the Earths orbit would be
By an eye located IN that system He found this 10 be
true that i an eye could hook out upon gobe whose
diameter should be equal 10 that Of the Earths orbit
2OOOO0OOO OF miles that the diameter Of such globe
seen from this vast distance instead Of swelling out 10
the dimensions OF the Sun with the eye would
only be 60 Of unit which is contained in the Suns
ameter 1000 times Now having the psrallsx here Is
the data for the computations Of the distance o. this orb
But how shall give you idea Of this distance If
talk 70 you OF millions and millions Of miles the mind
Is only staggered and bewildered. The new LEvEBRIEB
planet than 900 600 miles from the EaTihbui
We Can get there. Fret go cut to Marst 10 no. far
can get there Next 60 out 20 Jupiter il s not much
farther aud get there and next 10 Out e ShtgTn
planet and seems If we had sort of stepping road
which walk out into the imitable fields Of
space And now, the light that comes 10 us from the
arthes OF the planets passes the interval Of 3OOOcO
900 OF miles in i've hours. but the light that breaks in
upon from his distant in the Swan takes ten long
years 10 reach Us. Here we have new unit Of measure
do not cay that this il the nearest Of the stars perhaps
u 10 not yet Il IT, probably, located At about the mean
distance which divides the stars from esch other and
from sun.
Having reached to this point see al that how
fgat Cf4r -Trcfo
IT, that the whole Of IT, when from this distant body
sbrnks into 40 invisible point And 70 night we were
10 wing fight 10 those distant Stars and If We could
stand upon Planet circulating about this Sun and look
out upon the Universe around what changes should we
mud. 10 looking upon the Universe from our remote
point we should expect to find new grouping new
clusters new CONSULTATIONS. But no Strange as II
appear o. YOU and incredible the eye that looks
out upon the Universe finds almost change. There
sill bszes OriOuyonder the beautiful combinations of
Cassiopis all the old familiar Conftestons are there
10 illustrate just conceive that every individual IN this
is Star Now any individual change his place
with his neighbour and how much change IS accom-
pshed 10 the groups OF those by whom he Is surround
ed. No more change would be accomplished, by the
shifting Of position from the Earth TO the far distant
Planet In the movements Of the Fixed stars lDhnte
space belongs 10 God and 10 tod alOne. Infinite Power
has SLED that space with Suns and Systems, but there
has been room for all We do not feel that we are ia
any danger that our OwD System will be disturbed in
its movements by tbose other Systems. All moves on
harlnonOusly Now, VIC are 10 rase one step higher IN
our inNcsngauOub. we nave tpoktp Ai1tilOi July u
Solar Systems but to rise TO sideres sys'
tens Here am conscious that am TO meet with dii-
hculty I know bow hard Il is for tina mind 10 seize
upon this idea Are the stare scattered throughout
space without any regard TO each other are they eH
tended the one behind the other Indefinitely answer
no Az have little subordinate Systems moving ABOUT
our Sun-as have other suns and Othef systems oc
cupying their own regions Of spsce-so we group 10
eether myriads Of suns and Systems into one mighty
cluster into one stupendous group Of Stars constituting
System linked 20 one mighty center and ooedlen,
to It's operations. We ourselves, are mus s'sOclsleu
with these distant suns and form part OF the SUDDEN
dous whole. II the eye look out upon the stars We
see none but those belonging to our System trequres
the aid Of the Telescope to sweep beyond our o" cus
,er-to penetrate the vast depths of spsse ana see
those other objects coming up from It's lmtsole con
fines and bursting in all their splendors upon The sight
n have been successful, the idea viii he compre
hended that wa are examine clusters OF stars ana
upon which the distant clusters can have no more IN
fuence than can suns which far sunk In space have
over our own sun aud System II IS then win refer
10 OF the great clusters uAt our eAhihauVn
to be conducted.
know that. many have conceived the idea, that IN
presenting the subject OF the center OF the Universe ha
we mean has reached the center OF ali created
things Not 30 that day will never stand before
you this and iearessy assert that the DAY WI"
come when the center of the entire Universe VIII re
found by man. II man were lett alone 10 the re'els
tons OF science and the Telescope bis intellect would
be- crushed. But there is another revelation
When consider the heavens, the work OF thy fingers
the moon and the stars that thou hast ordained, eN
claim. Lord, what rs man, mat tnOu
and the son OF man, that thou ysitest him for tnou
hast made him but lttle lower than the angels thou
hast crowned him with glory and honor, thou modest
him TO have dominion over the works OF my nanos'
thou hast put all things under ms loeti bc' We ho' nv
tempt the Impossible
We now rise to the Investigation which is the princi
pal object of this lecture-the determination OF the
great center of Siderea stratum have already 70
that II takes light ten long years 10 travel nom
star located in the constellation of the Swan TO our
Earth. Now in the deepest parts OF our system, we
ind the stars sunk behind the other IN series h'e
hundred deep. Here you see is distance so great ha
light would pass 1t after an interval OF I'VE thousand
years We are able to sweep entirely round this cluster
and we nd thst although the depth not equal every
where yet where is found shalowest Is so great as
almost infinite. Yet II is entirely separate ana
distinct from the other clusters that lie beyond. The
distance it is separated from its neghborng clusters Is
great in proportion 10 the dsmeers OF the clusters
as IS the distance which separates TWO suns when com
pared with diameters OF the suns themselves. When
Maedler directed his attention 10 this subject be found
that his predecessors had done much Tor him lie ieit
that the time had come when It was possible 10 attack
this problem with hopes OF success Letu DC Teknem
beTed that Astronomers had been long engaged IN ex
aiming the and chatting down their positions by
examining the old charts be hnds the stars not hxed
but perpetuay changing their places and slow as INC
change may be- the accuracy with which modern insrn
ments minute distances, enables the Asrono
mer not only 10 ascertain the rate % notion but the az
fnai direction IN rhioh The objeof IS rsoris2 When Her
sche found these changes going tho dsa burst upon
him that probably the change was psralseuc and that
the sun with all s Planets and Comets, was speeding
through space lie commenced his examinations 10 sec
If this supposton when he arrived az re
suit the most astonishing that uniolded by 'he
mind ef man He found that II he was only permitted
TO accept the hypothesis that the Sun sweeping to
ward certain point in the Constellation Hercules be
could account for large proportion OF the changes Of
the hxed stars. all through the Heavens But when
other Astronomers gave their attention 70 tnis suo
ject aud found 1t too difficult for eSAmlnauon tue
theory seemed 30 die away, doubts were cast upon
its results and Astronomers finally rejected IL
AZ length il taken up in Russia strange thst
should announce thus. Russs--s hundred years ago
land Of bsIbaTsns and yet those who have made 'hese
discoveries Ia the employ and under the patron
sse Of the great Auocra OF the North Arsesnder Of Abe
undertook the solution OF this problem will attempt
70 give you the Of his operations TIC grand
object is this show you how that the grand
point in The Heavens toward which The sun V moving
was determined
Now for the demonstration. Ia the hrst place. you
must understand this that parANAcrc motion y always
easily computed before hand f the direction Ia which
the person moves who makes the observation Is known
For example II move 10 the right II Is very apparent
tina; the column Immediately in front OF will b
The e Highlander began his Investigations by the Oh
servaiion OF I'VE hundred stsrs selected 10 different
points IN the heavens which he compared with the Oh
servA,ons Of the Oldest sstronomer Let suppose Tor
sake OF illustration that he fDds the star selected for Oh
seryaton tonight located in certain point Ia the
Heavens hundred years previous 10 bis anne and
that al the time be makes his observation located
here In another point the Heavens Now the dstAnc