Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-11-12
DISCOVERY OF NEW PLANETS.

At the meeting of the British Association, held
Hull England President HoPKIss in the of his
address, remarked:
Stellar astronomy continues to manifest vigor and
activity worthy of the lofty interest which attaches to it,
Besse had made survey Of all stars to those of the
ninth magnitude inclusive, in lying between As
deg of north and 10 deg of south declinaton. Argean
der has extended this from so deg of north to 81
degrees of south declination. 1t comprises than
hundred thousand Notices have been brought
before US, from time to time, of the nebula observed
through Lord Ross telescope. This noble instrument,
unryaed for observations OF this kind continues to
be applied to the purpose and to add yearly to
knowledge of the remotes regions of space into which the
eye of man has been able to penetrate. Almost every
observation appears confirm the fact Of that Curl
tendency to spiral arrangement in these nebuous
Masses of which mention has frequently been made.
"Between the 2Sd Of june 1882 and the 9th of May,
1853 nine planets discovered, Of which
found since the last meeting Of the association or
these nine planets countrymsn, Mr.. HIND, has dis
covered four. The number known exclusive Of the
large planets but including the four old asteroids amounts
to twentysx nor have we any reason to suppose that
we have yet Appropriated TO the whole number Of these
minor planetary bodies.
The recent discovery, however of SO many planets
shows how imperfecty may yet be acquainted with
the planetary part of the system and the continual dis
covey of the new comets indicate that in this
department still more remains to be DONE These curious
bodies, too, may possibly have TO reveal to facts
interesting than any which the planets may still have in
for The experience of these latter bodies il
may so speak, is more limited, and their testimony
Us noble tale In moving, they do, in exact obe-
dence to the law of gravitstion, and thus establishing
that law, they have affirmed the highest generalization in
physical science which has been accorded to the human
mind to conceive
The continue for an indefinite time to emit
the quantity Of heat at present. unless his Their
NAL energy be renovated from extraneous
The conclusion may be applied to all other bodies
in the universe which, like sum- may be centres OF
intense heat and hence recognising adequate inter-
nal supplies of heat those existing of
heat Professor Thompson concludes that the dispersion
Of heat and consequently of physical energy from the
and stars into surrounding space without any recog
nsable means Of RECOMMENDATION is the existing order Of
nature In such the heat Of the ultimately
be diminished and the physical condition Of the earth
therefore altered in degree altogether inconsistent with
the theory Of would at present merely
state that my convictions entirely coincide with those
of Professor Thompson. If found our theories
upon knowledge and not upon ignorance of ply
steal causes and phenomena, only recognise in the
existing state OF things passing phase in the material
universe Ii may be calculated in ALL and is demonstra-
bly, SO in some respects to endure under the action Of
known causes for an inconcevabe period Of tme but it
has not think received the impress Of eternal Duration
in characters which man is able decpher The exter
nal temperature and physical conditions of globe
may not and probably cannot have changed in any
siderable degree since the first introduction Of organic
beings its surface but st only recognise in its
physical state during the intervening period state of
tua though exceedingly slow, progression from
tecedent to some ultimate state the nature Of which
our limited powers viii not enable to offer even con-
lecture founded on physical research"