The Evansville daily journal., 1856-12-17
THE CENTRAL SUN.-A paragraph is taking

o N
s=~us=z.s
THE CENTRAL SUN.-A paragraph is taking
the rounds of the press to the effect that all
scientific men have maintained that there
amust be a central point, if not a central sun
around which the whole universe revolves."
Maedler, an astronomer Of well-earned dis
t1inction, IS said to have given this subject his
special attention, and has come to the conclu-
sion that Aleyone, the principal star in the
group known as the Pleiades or ''seyen stars -
now occupies the centre of gravity, and is at
present the central sun around which the
whole starry universe reyolves. A writer
comment ng upon this declaration Of Maedler
says, "it is one OF the most interesting and
important astronomical announcements ever.
made, though it is very likely that but for the
eminent scientific position Of the author stt
a00uH be treated as Uisi0nary" ..--. i
The name of Maedler commands the respect
of the scientific world, and imposes upon all
great ditffdence in approaching any theory he
may propose. But we have some doubt
whether Maedler has committed himself to
the theory propounded above Astronomical
science might be led to such theory from
the general principals Of the laws of NATTER
and it may be quite true that visible solar sys-
TENS are revolving around one OF the Vergll-
ian group. But this is only part of theory
which must conduct US further, and lead to
the conclusion that the visible universe, whose
motions We detect and estimate, is only one
of another class of systems revolving around
some other centre, n4ver to be determined by
mortal skill. And SO on ad infHituna. ,sfs..s
We do not think, however, that astronOmi-
cal science and enlightened reason can unite
upon such a conclusion. "A man casting his
eyes upwards OF IA starry night has a glance
afa Tho firm in fnct T,re..
scnts to HIM one of the manifestations of eter-
nity-that is, the eternity Of space. "The
whole universe" is finite term, nor have we
any word to express that which we cannot
conceive. We may speak Of infinite space
and infinite duration and thus express finite
idea OF the infinite; but the moment we at
tempt to conceive and explain what this as, we
are lost. When we talk of centre Of the
universe" for Instance, we talk Of thing that
is not, for 'we necessarily comprehend in the
terma circumference. If there is centre OF
the universe, there is an extreme boundary.
But does the telescope intimate any such
thing? On the contrary it positively ignores
such an idea. = 1t forbids the belief that there
is point at which we can conclude there Is
4aotjasag beyond. And what coulI that moth
ing" be? One Of the poets has this expires
SION Hrfrr rrsF aTfa5e.-
From world to luminous world afar
Where the universe spreads its flaming wall"
And we pause at the word "wall," bat
adroitly enough the poet, Moore we think ii
is, forbids criticism OF the noun by the quail
ty of the verb and adjective, spreads" and
flaming" Yet the word wall is, notwlth-
standing finite and degrading. We assert
this yet look in vain for better expression.
The fact is we cannot imagine a condition
where space is not And thus the imaglna-
ton IS equally at fault in the attempt to con-
ceive the idea of infinite space as to realize a
condition where space is not The conclusion
to which we are forced, therefore. is that there
can be neither centre nor circumference to the
universe, and that It is of infinite space and O
eternal duration, subject only to changes un-
der established laws.
While the telescope is thus peerlng into IN
finite space, and with every Improvement
bringing to us the assurance of something be-
yond we have the same ''infnite" in It's reia-
,tion to the minuteness of matter. Every I'M
provement of the microscope only brings TO
the curious inquirer the conviction that ant
NAL life exists in minuter form, and that mat
ter is diyisible beyond the utmost power he
can bring to bear upon it. In this direction
human reason can hardly resist the convection
that there is not some limit to the lnthate.-
But we seek for it in vain. And for the sim.
pie reason that if this limit could be reached
it would be nothing. Thus the end of our IN
quiry assures US that there is no nothing!