New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-11-30
THE NEBULAR SYSTEM;
4 LECTURE
n IFI ~ RE.
BY PROF. 0. M. Mitchell, OF CINCINNATI.
Reported for The T ribuue

Brooklyn Female Academy, was given on Thurs
day evening. The lecturer commenced by re-
marking that his last lecture had been upon sub
ects drawn from the Bible, and that the pres
ent occasion he should occupy the hour in the con
sideration of topics to be found in the same book
The question for examination was one the most
difIicutHor the mind of nan to determine It vas
that Of the creation of the Universe. How was
the vast universe which we inhabit formed
Were all the myrads of heavenly bodies with all
their established and uniform though complex
motions instantaneously brought into existence
by the fiat of the Almighty Our observation
shows us q law Of gradual development The oak
does not leap into its fall size and perfect form in
an instant but is the growth Of thousand years
Look where we may, upon the earth, we find per
lection only after long and slow development.
The problem to be solved is, whether this anal
ogy extends to the heavenly bodies whether
they have gradually assumed their present form
and motion, or were at once made perfect and
upchangeabe. To solve this problem, the lectu
rer proposed to adopt speculative theory tend
ng to show the effect Of the application Of estab
'ished laws of motion and attraction to chaotic
mass, and then compare the results which this
much support it might derive from them.
The supporters OF the 2tebuL0Us theory, as it is
called, suppose, that, originally, matter withoU
law, without organization was ditfused through
out space That. when the power of attraction
was felt by it, it generally became more con
densed, and assumed a rOtund form.
The difficulty of believing that the earth solid
ever existed in gaseous state is diminished
when we consider the ease with which all bodies
may be reduced to gas by chemical action.
But IS there any evidence OF the present exist
ence OF such nebulous matterl | will said tn
speaker recite such facts as bear upon the qnes
tion and you must judge how far they go toward
proving the fact II then alluded TO our atmos-
| pbere as material substance, subject to the laws
! oil gravitaton aud motion, but of gaseous nature.
| The comets also are subject to grayitation, for
their orbits extend to inconceivabe distances
from the sun, yet his power reaches them and
brings them back. The change OF form which
they undergo as they near the sun was alluded to
and explained by the suppOSltlon that they were
aerlorn bo1.es The great comet OF 1913 which
so suddenly extended itself through so large
portion of the heavens was yet thin and OF 50
rariiied nature that the fantest stars dis
tnctly seen through it, and the light suffered no
reiraction in passing through the nterposed me-
dunn.
These facts prove that bodies do exist not So
lidified. The Zodiacal Light which extends across
the heavens after the Sun has gone down gives
the same indications that an atmosphere Of this
nature around the Sun would exhibit, were the
fact of such an atmosphere established
But il this this theory is true, 1t must account
for. or be consistent with, all the phenomena OF
the heavens -,...4
Let US examine the progress OF Development
as explained by 1t.
The moment gravtation commences its action
upon the chaotic nebulous mass, anuceus is formed
rom Which cohsIan''y lilo oeSli5 ~ - 49,
ed. Motion IS 8enefateu among tic PdIVlOi0S' Anu
sPhercal loffn IS assumed as Is tuc case WIN
Dew drop; from the FORM ol en9 PaIuciesi VI ~
DNlHe cohihIaiu, loVu'lon i0tio""' "HO' N'
commehced' tehds 10 greao results a..
Many planetary nebulous masses oil this klnd
exist at present. some OF thelh measuring EVEN
4oo,ooooo00oo miles, VINE no h&eu star mas d
measoraole diameter; buC no" "tie - SINS s:H
MADE from those neouoIs masses As t'do inYs
OF the mass are dlhlhlsheG oy I!lc
OF the matter tne speed Oh rotation Is liioIe1s0u
by an meVltape law, !Iustratqu 10y Y" iiI'5
ball round ROD, the string gradually "lIoln5 up
and the BAL moving with acceieIatea FeiQclty,-
centrifugal force Is thus ofl6i ha5eu "l'e e1ie
the torn OF the mass from Gloouiar one 10 oio
nearly nat AS TINS i S increases t, ?ret ta
a" y 9!u il1' an al tI ,l o3a snaeI "a the
1 I 60, I;h i i; sn,aroted and il oredueIv
oo,Io,,snd IN II becomes n planet with an orbit
and sn"e6 Of revolution equal to that of the body
t ~ t;n,o of ito eenaratjon As the uebuOus
-: ri c,,,9a,isoa othar RINGS ore thrown
li Ia 10 @ fr,nd fiIl Ll. The So
G T o Of ha mass new element comes In called
li1'9 - 'lG ,@ ,is4e tbr sanorafion Of more
COHESION winch prevents the separation Oh more
rings, .r, ,,,onots ara foond revolving around
SECONDARY Pi,,i, ti'o CO
the primaries les III tng s9Ig y a." y: rho nIonots ns
NOW i 'S '9o, y tsI Orbits mnSf
IcNoi't III 'N0 sun ~ ~, -
be in the same plane they must rotate Oh tIelr
axis IN the same arecton ano Ie s9o seq az,
planets must reyoiye IN the same plane ana N tAe
same ulI tHt4I Iiiuttolio Ai'''
certain relative speed al "9ich lhln8s are 50 Ia
fact But more tan tls Tue gun qst so lot Gd
on ITS AXIS IN the same manner 0no 'n'S "' iiiu
TO De t!ie tGse account Gov oil 4 nbanone
0Tavltatoi cuniot ' to q" 4b oo
! ma OF Astronomy anu uIlCSS tiiS tuCOy 10 u W