The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-05-04

'hat tue Stars were grouped toge ther, IN
mighty clusters throughout space. lnlook-
ing ont among the stars, wa find a bright
belt IN the heavens, which, with an instru-
meht oi the lowest powers, is resolved into
stars very numerous.
Now, is there 10 limit to these s,ars?-
Do they go on, the one behind the other
without end? answer, no. Then do you
mean to say there is a limit TO creativn =
answer no. mean to say that the stars
are grouped together in mighty clusters of
millions and millions, as distant from our
clusters as is our sun from their suns. Her
schel it was that solved this problem. lie
commences his Investigations by examin-
lug the most brilliant part Of the Milky Way.
lie takes Telescope, and finds that this
spot yields TO him one hundred beautiful
stars, in the distance appearing the size Of
hazel nuts. lie takes greater Telescope
four new stars are brought up, and the
others grow brighter and more beautiful.
lie takes his forty feet Telescope, and he
sees all clear, the stars shining like bright
diamonds. and in the shade beyond, all is
blank. This at once settles the question.
There are no more stars beyond that limit;
and, no matter how great the depths, he has
overcome them all. But do we stop here ?
] answer, no. When we have reached the
utmost limits Of our own mighty clusters,
then 1t is that we begin an investigation Of
far different kind. We pass the confines
Of our own universe, and sweep on through
space, millions upon millions Of miles, ull,
looking behind, see the stars tina, com
pose our own system lying in one vast clus-
ter; but before, all is blank. Is there moth.
ing there hid in the dark, unfathomable
realmsT There are some dim hazy spot,
looming up in the distance. Bring TO our
aid the TeleScope-lo, there bursts into
view tens Of thousands suns and stars Here
is another Universe burst in upon us, and
there Is not only one-they are scattered
by hundreds and thousands through space.
Let any one look out af night and coun; the
stars. You can do il. Ii has been done
And no eye has ever been able to count a
bove the horizon at one time, over fifteen
hundred stars. How close do they appear
to be, one to another, and how numerous
their hosts. Yet there are more ofthese
mighty universes scattered through space
than there are stars in our system. There
is one on the constellation Hercules, which
examined with Telescope of low power,
but with the mighty instrument we use, il i.
discovered 10 contain one thousand stars
occupying so small pom space that ii
would seem you might almost grasp them
in your hands. Yet they are SO far separa'
ted, that light, which travels twelve mill.
ions Of miles ina minute, requires ten thou.
sand years TO cross the diameter its orbit
These facts are startling; yet we must re.
ceive them. for the evidence is so strong
that it becomes perfectly irresistible.
now come TO the inv estig alton of the las
point, the instrument Of Lord Rose. Wher
we remember the station Of this noblemal
his rank, his high position in society, we
cannot fail 10 be siruch with admiration
when we remember how he devoted his for
tune and his energies 10 the aocon, plishmen
of the grand enterprise which has occupied
him for years. Distrusting the power OF
the Refracting Telescope, Lord Rose de-
termined to give his energies TO the con
s,ruction of a Rejecting Tslesc ope. tina
would enable him to make grander discov
eris than had hitherto been made. lie wan,
ted an instrument that would burst through
the barriers that had hitherto bounded hu
man vision-,hat would show him what,a
/
to you the construction Of this mighty in
strument. Instead Of limiting ii to fourfee
diameter, as llersChel did, he has given hi
speculum six feet, with focal distance o
sixty feet. The power Of this instrument j.
almost incredible. Such is lis capacity
that if star of the first magnitude were re
moved 10 such distance that it, liz Int woul,
be sixty thousand years in travelling 10 on
earth, this Telescope would reveal il; wer,
il removed SO far that lis hight would be tire,
millions of years in reaching uS, this Tele
scope would show il TO the human eye.-
With such All instrument, then tits not won
derful that grand discoveries shonld be mad,
II has been but pointed to the heavens; W,
have only entered on the beginning Of it,
career, but it has already accomplish,
mighty things. There are scattered thro'
out the heavens objects nebulous in their p
pearance, which would not ! ield up thei
character to the instruments heretofore EN-
4 ployed; but this instrument resolves ther
complete. Among the different objectsth
have been subjected to its scrutiny, is tn
wonderful nebula in the constellation Oliol
have had an opportunity of examining i
tits one of the most curious objects in iii
whole heavens. 1t is not round, and
throws off furious lights. This object LA
been subjected TO the examination of ever
instrument from the time of lIer>chel. bl
it grew more aud more mysterious, NOR
difficult to understand, more strange aud ii
verse in its character. When Lord Rose
great Telescope was directed To its exam
nation, it for long time resisted its powe,
lie found 1t necessary To- wait night aGt
night, aud month after month, until final
a favoring combination Of Circumstance
I. gave to him pure atmosphere, lie ,lirec
ted his Telescope to the object. and 10! il
station revealed itself, the stars of which
is composed burst upon tho sight for tn
first time, and the problem was solved fol
ever Here is one ofthc mightiest triumph
of this instrument; but it has gone on fro,
point TO point, revealing combinations
r stars wonderful beyond what the imagina
ton could conceive. In one corner Of III
heavens, stars cluster together il the fuir
ola mighty scroll. But find it inpossibI
to detain you longer it, these investigation
was scarcely aware that so much Of m
time had been exhausted. will now n
+ tempt TO exhibit to the eye, the perlormal
ces ofone of these great Telescopes. lpr,
pose To commence with tho Moon, and pro
/ coed outward, and thus take what llcrSch
, beautifully calls, a walk through space.