The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1873-12-11
IDAHO CITY. THURSDAY. DECEMBER II, 1873.
W. ITTEN FOR THE IDAHO WORLD.
THE EXTENT OF COSMlCAL PHENOMENA
BY D. g. STRONG.

AdE EA1EN1 VI CVSW4CAL EdGN V0GN q.
BY D. s. STRONG.
Let us adopt, as the unit of measure. our
own planet-the diameter Of which is nearly
5000 miles, containing 259 400 cubic miles, and
weighs 6 sextilons tons, or 120 sextillions
pounds avoirdupois. and is distant from the eun
95 millions of miles, and travelling, in on Orbi,
597. .142.857 miles in length, at on hourly speed
Of over sc, 900 miles. Since this is to be our
unit Of measure, let US pause moment to con-
slider its value; which may be done by compar-
ing it with other known units. The surface Of
the earth is very irregular; its depressionsand
elevations are from one to FIVE miles. and yet,
compared with the globe itself, they are no
greater in proportion than the wrinkles on the
rind of an apple. Again, it has been calculated
that, il a train Of cars should start from the
sun. and run without intermission. at the
rate OF thirty miles per hour, it would require
36l years to reach our earth, IS millions Of
miles distant. We will now suppose some con-
tractor engaged to remove this earth to the
sun. II he should have train Of cars reach.
ing from here to old Sol himself, and carrying
30 tons per car. he would have to make IL
billions of trips which would require him Mt
the above tate, 1882 billions Of years! o. the
magnitude of these figures. Of course, we can
have no conception. We can come nearer it
in estimating the velocity OF the earth's motion
in her orbit The velocity Of cannon ball is
about 300 miles per hour; Of rifle ball nearly
2OOO miles. Yet the earth is plunging along in
her orbit at the enormous rate Of 6o. 600 miles
per hour Such is our unit Of measure. Now
let it be remembered that the magnitude Of the
universe depends upon the number Of times it
contains this measure in any Of its dimensions.
Let us first consider what Astronomers have
dcnominatrd the Solar System Having the
sun as its center, and eight primary and twenty
secondary planets; one hundred and twenty
one Asteroids: several thousands Of Comets,
and add to these that the inter planetary spa.
ces, instead Of being void. are filled with
countlrss number of Metcors, erolites and
shooting stars. the aggregate riass of which
must be very great. and you have a system Of
no mean proportion. Applying our measure
W. find Neptune to be 60. Uranus 80, Saturn
| /, 900, Jubiter 400 and the sun 100000
times larger than the earth. AS to the veloci-
ties of these bodies, that Of Venus is $4,000.
and that Of Mercury 10000 miles per hour.
ar 81. 900 miles per hour faster than the earth.
But it is when We come to measure the dis
I'd with the sense Of the awful and sublime.
With IS millions Of miles as the unit, Uranus
would be 90 and Neptune, the rem"test planet
of our system, 30 times that distance from the
sun. While If the Comets Halley's travels
335, ,OOO,OOO miles beyond the orbit Of Neptune.
and makes its revolution every 76 years, and
moves at tho rate Of $4,000 miles per hour
The whole number of Comets belonging to our
system, is variously estimated by Astronomers,
from few thousands to several millions. Yet
the elements Of but serem Of these have been
computed, most Of them move in paths 80 ex-
centric as to require many centuries to com.
plete one revolution Our unit of measure is
too small to be used in scale 80 vast as this.
and We are lost in its immensity.
Let us pass from the contemplation of the
Solar, t" the Stellar system. Leaving the sun.
passing the several planets Of our system, sup
pose we have arrived at Neptune, distance
Of 2S5. millions Of miles; as we look back.
ward we see the sun about the size, apparent
". of Venus, our beautiful evening and MORN
ing star He now emits only about the one.
th"usandh part Of the light he did on the
pnrth most Of the planets Of our system, all Of
which are interior in respect to Neptune, and
have been passed in our trip to that planet, have
lost in the distance. but looking out beyond us
what do we see Z .466 times rs far as we have al.
ready come. We see Alpha Centauri, the nearest
fixed star. This is now 20,496. 900 millions Of
miles from our sun, which we will adopt for new
unit Of measure instead Of 95 mlIions,-a few Of
stars scattered aboutthe outskirts Of the Stellar
system, and which lie upon the very limits Of our
power to omeasure-bear the following relative
distance: Alpha Centauri 1.6l Cygni 2, Vega 6,
Serius, or the Dog. star 6. Arcturus7, Polaris14
and Capella2O. While these, and probably q few