The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1873-02-20
Are the Planets 1nhabited9

The EUening Mail contains, under the
above head an argument tending to an
affirmative answer to this question; but
it is founded more on poetieal imagina-
ton than on sober truth The writer
says Reasoning from analogy, it is
hardly possible that such magnificent
worlds as are within telescope inspec-
ton, far surprising our own in magni-
tude and celestial beauty, are solitary
globes, destitute of living forms organized
for enjoying as much as we, etc, and
he ends with the statement that the COM
position of these worlds as to their me-
tallic resources is essentially like that of
the earth; and he asks finally, why not
in all other respects :?
The answer to this question is that in
all other respects the conditions required
for organic life are exceedingly complex.
One of them is temperature between
$50 and 1902 Fab, and this condition
prevails only on two of the planets, the
Earth and Mars; all the others are too
hot, and their moons too cold; at least,
it is probable that the moons of Jupiter,
Saturn, and Uranus are as thoroughly
cooled off as our own moon, which is as
totally unfit for the existence of organic
life as the tops of our Himalayas. If the
spectroscope had not demonstrated that
the celestial bodies were compounded of
the same elements as our earth we might
perhaps argue that, for other elements
unknown to us, another range of tenn
perature might be required for organic
life, but the revelations which this adj
mirable instrument has given exclude
such a supposition; and as, in connection
with the telescope and photometer, it
has also taught us that temperature of
10000 Fab. and upward prevails on all
the planets except Mars, the idea that
they are all inhabited at the same time, is
fallacious.
We say at the same time; the moon may
have been inhabited millions of years
ago, when the surface of the earth was as
red hot as that of Jupiter is now; and
when by further cooling during thou
sands of centuries our earth will have
become desolate, it may be the turn for
Jupiter and other planets to become the
scene of the most luxurious organic life.
A German saying is "God works
slowly because He is eternal" No doubt
the universe was not created in hurry;
planets have been revolving around cen
tral suns for millions of centuries, and
according to unalterable laws have their
periods of preparation, disturbance, evo-
luton, organization, and their period of
full organic development, and finally of
decay; it is already, a priori very unlikely
that these different periods of their his
tory should exactly coincide, as the
planets differ individually and are placed
in diferent conditions; the larger ones
must cool slower than the smaller, and
those further from the sun faster than
those nearer to that orb Each has its
own individuality, its own history, and
will go through the different periods of
its destiny in its own time, a time so
long that our longest historical period is
comparatively a mere instant; while it
sweeps in its course through spaces so
large that all the empires of our earth
are comparatively a mere handful.-,Sci-
e1stifc american.