New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-04-19
Astronomical speculations.

If two bodies were placed in space,
without any forces acting on each
other than their own gravity, they
would Immediately start to each other,
and would rush together. The sun
and planets, which constitute the stel-
lar system to which our solar system
belongs, are prevented from running
together in one mass by their revolu-
tons about each other. The revolu-
tons of the planets around our sun,
and of the satellites about their prima-
ries, have been ascertained with that
wonderful precision which is the just
pride of astronomical science, and as
tronomers are now engaged in the sub
lime problem of unraYeling the revolu-
tons of the countless suns that make
up our stellar system. Already the
cluster of the Pleiades is indicated as
the proximate locality of the centre
around which our sun, with his attend
ant planets, is sweeping his vast orbit;
and it is suggested that it is probably
the common centre of the orbits of all
the suns of our stellar system.
If the force of gravity extends
across the inconceiYable spaces
mhich separate the several stel-
lar systems of the universe,
those systems must rush togeth-
er, unless they are held apart by revo-
lutions around each other.
If light were an emanation, as held
by Newton, the spaces between the
solid bodies of the universe might be
absolutely empty; and, in that case,
the revolutions of the bodies around
each other might go on forever. On
the other hand, if light is a vibration
in subtle fluid, the fluid might OBJ
struct the motions of bodies revolving
in it, and they must finally come to-
gether in one mass. The experiment
so ingeniously devised by Arago, and
carried out with such honorable regard
for the fame of its designer by Messrs.
Feueault, Ficeau and Bereque, to de-
termine whether there is a difference
in the velocity of light in its passage
through air and water, has demonstra-
ted that light is vibration. 1t fol-
lows from this that, as far as light ex-
tends, space is filled with material
Huidwhich resists the motion of bodies
revolving in it; and bodies within this
space must gradually wind their way
inward, and ultimately come together
in one mass.
The moon must be drawing very
closely nearer the earth, and the two
bodies in the far distant future will
come together. The solid crust of the
earth will be broken up by the shock,
an immense quantity Of heat will be
generated by the destruction of the
moons motion, and the two bodies will
fuse together in one molten globe. As
the new and enlarged earth is cooled
upon its surface, a second series of
geological deposits will be constitut-
ed, accompanied, perhaps, by strange
and ineoneeivable forms of animal and
vegetable life.
At the same time, the earth is wind
ing its way inward toward the sun, and
must ultimately fall, an inconsiderable
member, into the vast glowing mass.
The same fate awaits all the planets,
and our solar system must one day be
but a single globe. When this globe
is cooled to the right temperature, it
may be covered with multitude ofin-
habitants, and astronomers may rise
who will watch its revolutions among
the associated suns of our stellar sys-
tenn. If their knowledge and intel
lect are equal to the science of our
astronomers they will foresee the ulti-
mate coming together of all these suns
into common globe. And not this
only, for they will predict the final
coming together of all the stellar sys-
TENS of the visible universe into one
mass of matter.-iScientifc American.