New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-03
THE LECTURE.

an March % the French astronomer Arago addressed
% tho French statement having reference "
the wonderful value the study OF astronomy as toaou
ing true thoughts the Creator he related now Ger
tain clergyman had to him and c0mpaned tnat ho
.ound his people wanting in attention Said he, II re-
peated 20 my people all that had hitherto been eachS
about the wonderful power of God but they "Ouu ho'
fix their attention They seem TO look upon these matters
as false" Arago said to him. pass from those older
teachings and take what astronomy teaches and then
Araco related to him the wonders of astronomy,
and the minister went away rejoicing. When the
time came when he knew the minister was to employ
those teachings, he waited with impaence to hear the
result The minister came back to him, but he was not
rejoicing as AragO had hoped With despair pictured on
his face he said: "when brought those wonders be-
fore my audience they had forgotten the sacred nature
OF tho place they aud up and applauded me
10 the echo"
HYPOTHESIS OF THE FORMATION OF THE SYSTEM
don't suppose any hope from the teachings
of science learn anything clear or distinct OF tho
reality Of the Almighty. That always lies infinitely be-
You'd our conceptions but it Is we'll for us to hnd and
tins astronomy especially does, that verifying, even
material things. within power TO understand
that by the study OF scientific facts brought
into the presence uconcevabes. And therefore If it
shown. Of science say IL is. II 1t
shall be shown that the idea of personal God IS ncon-
ceivabe we are not therefore reject it, We to re-
member that is only Of many nconctyaDes that
lie around us
this earth. / remind you that in the course gave
before dealt with certain preliminary considerations
spoe for instance Of the two theories OF the universe
and the general facts which both OF those theories
are based. told you then how the various planets
circng IN one direction round the the sun also
rotating in the direction, and the satellite family
turning In the same direction 10 point in manner
which there is mstaking to process by which the
solar system reached Its present condition. One OF
these theories that 1t had contracted from great
nebuous mass; and another theory that the solar
system instead of contracting had grown to It's present
condition by the in-drawng Of great ghtsof comets
Here Prof Proctor illustrated the theories the
screenl
Tho picture shows you the nebulOus mater-what the
star depths afford in answer to tho theory. There
you picture where you number of stars sur
rounded by nobuous matter and this picture suggests
certain amount OF evidence in favor OF the attraction
theory the attraction toward the various eeners OF
light The picture shows the way in which neb-
uous matter sometimes extends over enormous regions
OF space This picture illustrates the wonderful neb
ua IN Orion There you it spread over enormous re-
Gons space and suggests that as regards quantity
there is an ample amount of this matter from which
schemes like the solar system may be found. am
passing down from the earliest condition toward winch
we back the past condition OF our earth This
nebua has shown TO be constituted OF great guam
titles OK glowing gas hydrogen and nitrogen being pres
out In elementary condition. In other words they
fail to give lines usually given by these gases, but
only in each single line and the idea has been
suggested by physician Of your own that all the ee-
uents may have been produced from these elementary
stages Of hydrogen and nitrogen. hope TO show you
that there is no possibility Of arriving at the real begin
ming of the earth. but shall pass back TO that first
uage OF which we can hope TO have any information.
INSTANCES OF FORMATION IN NEBULoUs MASSES.
shall show you the great southern nebula IN Argo,
although rather family 1t looks as II motions were
taking place the star spaces-as If some progress
were actually making under the eyes OF astrono-
mers towards the beginning OF new solar system We
see these great moving changing in place and
we may imagine that evolution Is there beginning.
Another picture shows the central part OF that nebua
In somewhat enlarged space, and that contains sun
which as 1t WERE immersed in that nebula This was
formerly OF the first magnitude, but 1t has now been
ranked the fourth magnitude. 1t has become scarcely
visible TO the naked eye on the darkest night. May ~
not DO the first OF process by which sun is being
formed or the last We may Ii tending towards an
and and find that there we have a which is gradu
ally Pickering out like candle just before 1t expires
So we see we may have system either beginning or
gradually dying out
After dealing with these primary states must pass
TO the condition OF our earth center Here 10 the
other theory, that our solar system sprang from
gradual drawing toward the center Of great masses Of
glowing matter Instead of being contracted masses
of glowing matter, hard liquid drawn in toward
the center which led in the first place TO the formation
of the center OF system, and aferward to subord
%@NAN $3.50
great circular clusters cluster tending toward Sin
gle center Above you have one tending toward the
center all suggesting the possibility that centers Of az
gregauOn may be formed.
sIMILARTTIEs TO THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
Now we will have enlarged view OF that great
spiral Here you the central part of It's true pro-
portonate dimensions and you 10 feel that that
great confer OF aggregation will grow until 1t becomes
ntting over here IN this next picture, you see
the first subordinate aggregation, and you see In that
system that the planet that will occupy tho same posi-
ton "A Jupiter does IN system Is being formed
Here ia a picture showing the process OF formation
Here YOU see the spiral branches are more distinct one
nom another and you beside the central aggrega
ton, one Of the first subordinate aggregatlons-the
Jupiter OF that system-and another which we may re-
gard as the Saturn Of that system And so we may per
ceye that the other branches not PS ts smaller
planets OF that system are 10 be formeu' 49, -.
In the next picture you will see one OF these spras
turned edgewse, that notice the natness OF
It's nature. We know that system Is. as IT were,
fat system, and these spiras not fiat we should
can spiral has something the shape OF the great
whirlpool sprals, precisely cloud near the horizon
looks long and straight although lts shape Ye"ed from
below, would be probably round
PROCESSES OF AGGREGATION
Here is another picture having only ono center OF az
rregation. Here. see, IS one center and toward
that center various branches seem 10 tend That seems
10 me instructive tending to show that these great
tpras are not at rest. II they had been originally at
est then would always have been the appearance
,ere shown-that Is great center, aud all around that
center branches would be seen tendiug inward put
hey travelling in some cases forward VIII g,ea'
apjdity then there would be tendency toward an oc
,ssiona eccentric. In other words tue supply OF mat
,er 10 the central aggregation Woud De gleatei a oo
tee than al the OtneT, If the neOuOus mass were aV-
ling from n poorer d richer region or wee versa
Aud now in order 20 show that we have evidence OF
prior condition OF our solar sys.e N ss , roang
nebula We win have pietore brought on lilu'Iauhs