Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-01-10
EVENING STAR.
WASHINGTON:
MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 1858.
SMITHSONIAN LECTURES.
Prof. Alezander's Lecture on Climate.


Prof. Alezander's Lecture on Climate.
eve speak," said Prof. A. 'sof this globe
as our globe, our earth," and the phrase
used is not misapplied; for it is peculiarly
adapted to our constitution, the atmosphere
for our lungs, and the transparency of it
for our eyes, the days and nights for alter
nate activity and repose, and the change of
seasons to invigorate both body and mind.
The lecturer then went on to give the
different causes of the varieties of climate
found on the surface of the earth, and
which are necessary for the health and hap
piness of man: The form Of the earth, the
sun, the great source of light and heat-the
motion of the sun in the ecliptic, the winds,
the currents of the ocean, all combined to
produce the change of seasons, the alterna-
ton of day and night, and the varieties of
climate.
The spherical form of the earth has been
found upon investigation to be the only one,
and best that could have been adopted
upon which the other causes mentioned
would have produced the effect desired.
The Sun-distant ninety-fve millions of
miles from us, we are dependant up
Oh for all the blessings we enjoy, and it is
not surprising that heather nations look to
it as the author Of all good. If the sun
were absent, we would cease to exist-it
being the cause of our days and nights,
change of seasons, the growth of plants, of
animal life, indeed of everything in which
there is life at present upon earth.
The how, where, and how long the sun
shines upon the surface of the earth causes
the difference in temperature and climate
observable. If the sun shines perpendicu-
larly it produces more heat than if the rays
strike the earth obliquely. If it falls upon
the earth at the equator it produces more
heat than at the poles; and if it shines for
long time continuously the heat produced
will be greater than in short time, as every
person can satisfy himself by standing a
short or long time before the fire. The
Torrid Zone is on both sides of the equator,
and there the sun beams with scorching
heat, falling perpendicularly upon the earth.
The Temperate Zones are farther North and
South, and are, at times, warm and cold as
the days are long or short, or as the rays of
the sun fall more or less obliquely. In the
Frigid Zones where the sun does not shine
sometimes for months it is extremely cold,
and there is scarcely any vegetation.
The motion of the sun in the Ecliptic is
the cause of the change Of seasons so bene-
fetal to the health of man, invigorating him
both bodily and mentally When the sun is
north of the equator it is summer with US
and the rays Of the sun shine beyond the
North pole, and the days begin to grow
longer and longer till the sun reaches twen-
ty-three and-a-half degrees north of the
equator, where it is stationery, apparently,
for a short time, and then begins to return,
causing the days to grow shorter and the
nights longer.
The heating Of the air at the equator
causes it to rise, when the cold air rushes
in from the North and fills the vacuum pro-
duced. The air from the North coming
from region where the motion of the earth
is less rapid than at the equator, is retard-
ed, and thus is produced south easterly
wind-one of the trade Winds The air
from the South, rushing towards the equa-
tor produces the north easterlv trade wind