The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-01-30

the roar of the hurricane or the crash
of the thunderbolt, must prevail for
ever in every part of the solar atmos-
phere. And, in whatever respects other
suns may differ from our own, IN this at
least we know thy resemble him. Each
is the central engine on whose internal
motions the life of a system of worlds
depends, and each must, with per-
sistent activity, work out its purpose,
until the fuel which supplies its forces
shall be exhausted.
All the evidence as yet obtained
points to the conclusion that our own
sun, wonderful as is his structure and
stupendous his energy, is yet very far
inferior in splendor and power to most
of his fellow-suns. Placed where Sirius
is, the sun would appear bat as third
rate star, less bright than hundreds of
the stars visible to the unaided eye.
But removed to the distance of Aide
baran, or Caster, or Betelgenx, our sun
would certainly not shine more brightly
than the fourth-magnitude stars, while
it is possible that his lustre would be so
reduced that he would be barely dis
cernible. There can be little doubt that
Of all the stars seen on the clearest and
darkest night, there are scarce fifty
which are not larger suns than ours,
and consequently a scene of more ire
mendous processes of change.
But when we turn from the considera-
ton of the energy and vitality of indi-
yidual stars 10 inquire into the move
ments taking place within the stan
system, we are yet more startlingly i'm
pressed by the contrast between the ap-
parent rest prevailing in the star-depths
and the inconceivable activity really
present there. 1t seems Incredible that
all those orbs which look so still are
speeding through space with a velocity
compared with which every form Of
motion familiar to us on earth must bt
regarded as almost absolute rest. This
appears even more surprising when We
consider that during all those centuries
with which history deals, during the
rise and fall of the nations of antiquity
during the darkness OF the Middle Ages
during the more familiar scenes of re
cent centuries, the stars have presented
an aspect so constant that if the Chal
dean astronomers could be restored t,
life, they could recognize scarce an.
change in the positions of the star
forming the consultations. Yet Their
are no astronomical facts more thor
oughly established than those Whicl
relate to the motions of the stars. Tn
giant orb of Sirius, exceeding our sun
thousand times in volume, Capella an
9 Procyon, the glories of Orion, tn
clustered Pleiad, Arcturus, Vega, an
Aldebaran; all the stars known to tn
, astronomer, are urging their way wit
inconceivable velocity, each on its ow
a course, though all these motions al
o subordinated to some as yet unexplaine
, system of movements whereby all til
, stars of the galaxy are made to forl
: parts of one harmonious whole.
q Until lately it has been by one metho
E of observation thatthe astronomer coul
: assure himself that these motions wei
: taking place. That method is I'll
: simplest conceivable. If a stars plac
were actually determined, either wit
7 respect to neighboring stars or to IL
a imaginary circles and points on tt
sphere which are determined by IL
!, earth's movements of rotation and re,
. olution, then, if the star be really
= motion, change of place must in IL
. long run manifest itself, not indeed
= ordinary vision, but to the piercin
= scrutiny and to the yet more remarkab
4 measuring powers of the astronomic
. telescope. a hundred years may elaP'
before the motion is measurable, y
the astronomer can none the less certain
= Iy assure himself that the motion
taking place, since he has the record
p of those who have gone before him, an
:, the means of satisfying himself tn
7 those records are Trustworthy.