Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-02-09
ABOUT OTHER WORLDS.

Are there other inhabited worlds be-
sides our own earth, is a question often
asked and discussed, rs well by the un-
learned as by philosophers. Some sci
snti6c men say yes ; while others, prob
ably a majority, hold an opposite opin-
ion. The latter tell Us that astrono-
mcrs could never obtain any certain
knowledge Of tho material composing
the celestial bodies. Yet such knowl-
edge as this, for example, that iron aud
copper exist in tho suns mass, has been
derived from that truly wonderful meth
cd of research termed |" spectroscopic
analysis" We ore indebted TO Kirchof
and Bunsen for the discovery that the
lines which cross the streak of rainbow
colorsd light, termed tho prismatic spec
trum, indicate with tho utmost certainty
the character Of the vnpors through
which the light passes from the radiant
body to the eye of the observer. This
law, if we may so call it, has been test
ed by the most refined chemical expert
ments, and has become recognized rs
tho most certain mode of chemical anal
ysis. All luminous bodies, no matter
how near or how remote, can be exam
ined and tested by 1t. When We look
Mt tho hundreds Of fine lines which
cross the raihbow-colored streaks Of
light that form the solar spectrum, and
the well marked intervals separating
them, wo sec that the solar light reaches
US through OH atmosphere composed Of
tho vapOrs Of many metallic substances.
By n comparison of these lines with
those of the various terrestrial cle-
ments, We learn that many Of the most
important of these certainly exist in the
solar atmosphere, such n, iron, in very
large quantities, also sodium, magne-
stun, calcium, etc. Copper and zinc
are found to exist in the solar spectrum,
but in less quantities thAn the metals
first named.
Although unable to tell what elements
exist in the substance Of the planets,
yet as wc now know that the sun, the
great centre of our system, is formed OF
tho elements which compose our W
earth, it would seem highly probable
that all other planets arc similarly con-
stituted. We may go further and OBJ
tain precisely the sams sort Of evidence
respecting the fixed stars that we have
in relation to the sun. There is yet nn-
other evidence of u different kind to
show a community OF elements, which
are commonly spoken OF as terrestrial,
with those in other parts of the solar
system. We refer now to Hrolitos, or
meteoric stones, which ut times fall
through our atmosphere to the earth,
and which nre found, on analysis, to he
composed of elements which arc the
most common on our own earth. The
spectroscope applied to n observation
of shooting stars shows II similar result,
as, for instance, in their containing So
dunn.
A recent writer, after laying down
these preliminary considerations, directs
his inquiries into the physical constitu-
ton Of the several planets, or rather four
of them-Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Snt.
urn-and their Availability by living
creatures. Tho first point to DO investi-
gated was, whether any planet has an
atmosphere resembling that Of II own
Garth and here the spectroscope affords
the clOarcst evidence that Mara has
an atmosphere, and that it is loaded
with tho very vapors that are found in
that of the earth. II has been shown,
also, that the same vapors exist in the
atmosphere of Venus, Jupiter and Sat-
urn, which would prove TINT water cx-
lists in NIL of these bodies and, in the
case Of Mars, there is no reason to doubt
tho existence of land and seas, tho rela-
tive proportions of which have been
mapped out. It is shown by Tyndale
and others that we cannot judge OF n
planets climate from the mere consid-
Grafton Of its distance from the sun,
Mars is better known than any other
body in tho solar system. Its physical
rotations resemble those of our earth.
Tho same may bo snid TO some extent of
Venus, Jupiter and Saturn but some
of tho physical characteristics Of all Of
them differ so greatly from those OF the
earth that there is strong reason to
doubt whether living beings, such rs
inhabit our globe, could exist in those
planets Mt alI. The subject is deeply in
teresting, however, rs showing the far
reaching character Of modern science,
which can penetrate distances hundreds
of millions Of miles from tho earth, and
by a mere analysis of light and yapors
determine with n reasonable certainty
the materials of which those fnr of
worlds are composed.