Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-03-08
Are the Planets Inhabited?

The Euening Mail contains, under the
above head, an argument tending TO an
Affirmative answer to this question but
IL is founded more on pOetical imaQ ina
ton than on sober truth. The writer
says: Reasoning from analogy. IL is
hardly possible that such magnificent
worlds as are within telescope inspection.
lar surprising our own In magnitude and
celestial beauty, are solitary globes, dcs-
titute of living forms organized for enjoy-
ing as much as we," ETC., and he ends
with the statement that the spectroscope
has demonstrated that the. composition
Of these worlds as to their metallic re-
sources Is essentially like that of the
earth; and ne 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
32o and 100e Fab, and this condition
prevails only on two of the planets, the
Earth and Mars: all the others are too
hot, and their moons are too cold; at
least, 1t Is probable that the moons Of Ju-
piter, Saturn, and Uranus are as thor
oughly cooled off as our own moon,
which is as totally unfit for the existence
OF organic life as the tops of our Hima-
layas. Ii the spectroscOpe had not DEM
onstrated 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 temperature might be required
for organic life, but the revelations which
this admirable instrument has given ex-
clude such suppOsition; and as, in con-
nection with the telescope and photome-
ter, 1t has also taught us tnat q tempera-
ture OF lOOOo 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 NAV
have been inhabited millions of years
ago, when the surface of the earth was
az red hot as that of Jupiter is now; and
when by further.cooling during thousands
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 I;
pianets have been revolving around CEN
tra suns for millions of centuries, and
according to unalterable lave have their
luton, organization, then their period of
full organic development, and finally Of
decay; 1t is already, pviopi, very unlike
~ that these different periods of history
should exactly coincide, as the planets
differ individually and are placed in differ
ent 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.
It's own history, and will 20 through the
different periods of its destiny in its own
time, time 50 long that our longest his
torical period is comparatively a mere in
slant; while it sweeps in its course
through spaces so large that all the en-
pres OF our earth are comparatively a
mere handful. ll.-Seientifc American.