Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-11-09
The FlnaI DestIuy Of the Eartb.

Enckes comet, which resolves about the
sun in three and half years, has been observ-
ed to complete its revolution in a constantly
shortening period, showing that it is being
drawn inward toward the sun. This fact has
led to the general conclusion by astronomers
that the planets are moving in a resisting me-
dium, far more attenuated than our atmos-
phere, but still sufficient to affect their mo-
tious If this is so, it follows by strict ne
cessity 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 inconceivable periods with which geol-
ogy and astronomy have to deal. The resis-
ting medium is so exceedingly attenuated
that it exerts but slight influence on the
comets, which are themselves masses of the
very tEilest vaper, and its influence would
of course be very much less on the dense
matter Of the planets.
Astronomical observations, with all their
wonderful delicacy, 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 revolutions are shortening with the
revolutions themselves. If we begin, for in
stance, with the earth, the problem is TO as
certain whether the time occupied by the
earth in its journey around the sun is grad
ally becoming shorter. The first plan thai
suggests itself is TO compare this with the ro-
tation 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 ro-
tations on its axis are becoming more rapid;
in other words, the day is shortening with
the year; and if the measure shrinks Just in
proportion to the thing measured, we cannot
tell whether the latter is becoming shorter or
not.
If we take the time of the revolutions of
the moon around the earth as q standard, the
same resisting medium would draw 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, all the times and dis
tances which could be used to measure the
earths distance from the sun Tor the period
Of its annual reyolUtion) are shortening to-
gether. So that the differences in the ex-
tent Of these several contradictions are the
only means left for detecting by observation
the approach of the earth to the sun, if such
approach is really taking place. These differ
ences would doubtless reveal themselves in
the course Of generations to refined astron-
omical observations.
If the earth and the sun are gradually be-
coming cold, this winding of the earth to-
wards the sun would tend to keep up its
warmth, and it may be wise provision for
prolonging, by some millions of years, the
continuance of animal life upon our globe.
But this period must come to a close, for if
there is resisting medium pervading the
space between rs and the sun, the final des-
tiny of the earth is to curve gradually for
ward 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 sun-Scienh.fe american.