The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-02-12

Professor Nichols Lecture on Astronomy.
Professor Ncho,s delivered his sixth lecture last
sTa bs n t
course in place Of being dimini.h.d has steadily in
creased We have little doubt but that feeog per-
vades the minds Of those who have listened TO the doc
tors and simple exposition Of this most sublime
Of Sciences aud 1t 10 regretted that the lectures
near q close. Professor Nichol who greeted with
much cheering, and said Ladies' and gentlemen
We have spoken In our former lecture of the general
character and apparent distance Of the planets from our
earth wish to q few remarks the details
OF the planets drawn from the laws operating
globe Notwithstanding this power Of our Telescopes
what do not know In the first place would remark
that, know, matter 10 developed in these
planets find 1t earth. These orbs, so far
We know, have stmospheres and clouds aosting
through them the same rs In our earth There is ono
teriss the other secondary planets viz: In
1t ither atmosphere clouds, nor water have been dis
covered and probably never existed IN We
The simple and easy method to determine the
by observing comparing he shadows produced by
intervention of substances betwxt the observer and the
light The second truth Is more important. We find
in all the planets and especially the moon, their
faces broken and uneven in other words find noun
tsns and plains hs and valleys that we observe on the
of the earth This fact of immense Importance
to show that in all the planetary system there must be
power at work independent of gravity Suppose our
globe into existence through the force gravity
alone would find that 1t would present unduating
surface Is So and in consequence, there must be
some sntagonisic power at work. apart from
The question comes, what is the nature Of this power
This question Is very important and may appear some
what puzzing; but you must observe that not
confined to the moon. What know Of our earth and
its history enables to form correct opinions of the
planetary bsdies and that the which oper
placing the mountains and hills the surface of
this world would operate In the other planets space
The grand fact must be borne IN mind that these laws
every body yet examined by the telescope. Seeing this
cannot help coming the conclusion that in this
the heavenly origin Of that law. This explains
only what takes place In its body but In all the
others The moon presents an excellent field Of inves
gstion for the first the absence
prevents clouds from obscuring the vision
quently the moon can always be SEEM and should any
cloud at all prevsil 1t arises from our globe All the
other planets have examined have atmosphere,
less Venus has dense atmosphere, and the planet
Mars small Another reason that the moon
to be easily observed is s comparative proximity to
globe IL lie only about $40 900 miles from EARTH
and you win at the TELESCOPES bring it very
near U.S. small telescope which had inches In d,
one Lord Rosse's, which occasionally used brought
1t within ~ miles Such being the case, my audience
the You will be very apt to say, gentleman
dd evening where had been lecturug and stating
y. %s dd you not 20 to II H,so
0reat applause The lecturer here stated the prin-
cple BY which they knew and explored the csverns
in the moons surface Thy the length appearance
the shsdow) He said, from these causes, actually
know more OF the mountains in the moon, than We
know of number the face of our globe. We do not
here speak by conjecture No, you will see from what
have already said walking ground
sui face The nrst the isolated mountains of very
curious description There great many of these,
aud their particular characteristic is that they rise sud-
denly from the plains In the other planets generally
find mountains rising gradually Very different in the
moon Tycho 10 about 900 feet high Many similar
scattered the moon. We find the plains from
whence they arse, perfectly undisturbsd You
will see that 1t must have been some very
curious cause which produced this phenomenon
The second class those similar to the mountains
found In the earth But there is the rue here In the
moon, it 10 the exception Only two three such
found. Here the lecturer mentioned several Of the
adj Srauc aka Of
large caverns rs In these mounans their pecu
liar appearance when viewed through powerful mioros
cope; that he had been In and rays light like
some internal force which created these
that the Internal force sending out int
space, and which, from the little attraction Of the
moon, circulated through pace, and were, probably,
earth. He supposed the moon was In ono stage Of
her progress TO world ouch own /; and
that could penetrate deep enough Into the bowels Of
world, and mountains would found SINH
though 1t appeared small to US, adual and
The grounds which conclusion CROW dod column
alone prevent. US giving In detail Long before man
ated you all beings existed the world
prepared for his reception and then man was
duced Change In other worlds 10 stil going on, but
will the orbs shall be steady fixed and
settled for the contemplation OF and his
TOR immoi tality
The Professor resumed his seat amid loud cheers
IL will be from advertsng columns that Pro-
feseor the request OF number of the most rsspec-
table Of msrch ants and others has consent
ed TO deliver another of lectures in University
Place That they will be well attended does not admit
ola doubt
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