The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1860-10-17
Final Destiny Of the Earth.

Final Destiny Of the Earth.
Enek's comet, which revolves around
the sun, in = years, has been observed
TO com lete its revolution in a con-
stantly shortening period, shown :
that it is being drawn inward toward
the sun. This fact has led to The gen
sral conclusion by astronomers that
the planets are moving in q resisting
ssdium, far more attenuated than our
atmosphere, but still sufficient to affect
their motion. IF this is so, it follows
by strict necessity, that our earth and
its sister orbs are all winding spirally
towards the sun, and that they must
eventually strike against it and become
Incorporated with its mass. The time
required for this purpose belongs to
those inconceiyable periods with which
geology and astronomy have to deal.
Ths resisting medium is so exceedingly
attsnuated that it exerts but q slight
influence on the comets, which are
themselves masses Of the thinnest va
por, and its influence would of course
he very mach less on the dense mat
ser of the planets Astronomical OBJ
SdfVations, with all their wonderful
5elisacy, have yet failed to detect the
slightest progressive shortening in the
periods of revolution Of any Of the
planets. It is curious however to
note the multiplied obstacles which
prevent the perception Of this fact, if
it does exist All the measures of
these revelations are shortening with
the revolutions themselves If we
begin for instance with the earth, the
first problem is to ascertain whether
the time occupied by the earth in its
journey around the sun is gradually
becoming shorter. The first plan that
suggests itself is to compare this with
the rotation of the earth upon its axis
to see whether the year occupies the
same number of days and hours and
seconds that it did in former times.
But if the earth is gradually cooling,
it is contracting in size, and its rota-
lions on its axis are becoming more
rapid I; in other words the day is short
ening with the year and if the meas
IRE shrinks just in proportion to the
thing measured, we cannot tell wheth-
er the latter is becoming shorter OF
not.
five take the time of the revolu-
tons of the moon around the earth as
a standard, the same resisting medium
would drax the moon towards the
earth, and shorten the month also with
the year. If we resort even to the
less satisfactory measure of the suns
rotation On his axis, his bulk is also
diminishing by the radiation. of his
heat, and the period of his rotation is
consequently becoming shorter In
brief, from the two causes Of radiation
and the resisting medium, al! the
times and distances which could be
used to measure the earth's distance
from the sun, are shortening together.
So that the difference in the extent of
these several contractionS are the only
means left for determining by observa-
ton the approach of the earth to the
san, if such approach is really taking
place. These differences would doubt
less reveal themselves in the course of
generations to refined astronomical
observations.
II the earth and the sun are gradu-
ally becoming cold, this winding of the
earth toward the sun would tend to
keep up its warmth, and it may be q
wise provision for prolonging by some
ailliens of years the continuance of
animal life upon our globe. But this
peaod must come to a close, for if
there is a resisting medium pervading
the space between us and the sun, the
Snal destiny of the earth is to curve
gradually inward till, with a velocity
hundreds of times greater than that
of cannon ball, it dashes itself with
an awfully sublime crash into the mass
OF the snn.-Seaentdfc american.