The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1873-01-25

the roar of the hurricane or the crash
of the thunderboIt, 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 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 vet 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 whers Sirius
is, the SUI would appear but 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,
aud consequently a scene of more ire
mendous processes of change.
But when we turn from the Sonsidera-
ton of the energy and vitality of indi-
vidual stars 80 inquire into the move
ments taking place within the star
system, we are yet more -starthngly I'M
pressed by the contrast between the APP
parent rest prevailing in the star-depths
and she inconceivable activity really
present there 1t seems incredible that
all those orbs which look so still are
speeding through space with velocity
compared with which every form of
motion familiar 10 us on earth must be
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 to
life, they could recognize scarce any
change In the positions OF the stars
forming ~he consultations. Yet there
are no astronomical facts more thor
oughly established than those which
relate to the motions of the stars. The
giant orb of Sirius, exceeding our sun
thousand times in volume. Capella and
Procyon, the glories OF Orion, the
Aldebaran: all the stars known TO the
astronomer, are urging their way with
inconceivable velocity, each on its own
course, though all these motions are
subordinated to some as yet unexplained
system of movements whereby all the
stars of the galaxy are made To form
parts of one harmonious whole.
Until lately it has been 10y one method
of observation That astronomer could
assure himself that these motions were
taking place. That method is the
simplest conceivable. If a stars place
were actually determined, either with
respect to neighboring stars or to the
imaginary circles and points on the
sphere which are determined by the
earth's movements OF rotation and rev
CLINTON. then, il the star be really in
motion, a change of place must in the
long run manifest itself, not indeed to
ordinary vision. but TO the piercing
scrutiny and to the vet more remarkable
measuring powers OF the astronomical
telescope. A hundred years may elapse
before the motion is measurable, vet
the astronomer can none the less certain
" assure himsalf that the motion
taking place, since he has the records
of those who have gone before him, and
the means of satisfying himself that
tboaa records are trr1 stwOrthy