Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-04-09
ARE THE PLANETS INHABITED?

ARE THE PLANETS INHABITED?
PROFESSOR PROCTOR, the celebrated
English astronomer, recently delivered a
series of lectures on astronomy in Chi
cago, one of which related to the ques-
ton of life il the planets, in which he
advanced the following interesting facts
and theories. as we find them reported in
the Daily Tribune:
MERCURY.
To begin with Mercury, the nearest OF
all these planets to the sun. The feature
which strikes us first in dealing with Mer-
curry is the great heat TO which that planet
is exposed. Mercury travels on an eccen-
trio orbit, and is exposed to greater heat
from the sun at certain times than at 9TH
ers. Mercury is at one time much nearer
to the sun than in another part of his
year. The year of Mercury is eighty
eight of our days. so that in the course of
Lightweight days Mercury passes from
very great heat when nearest to COM
paratlvely less heat when farthest from the
sun. But, even when the suns heat is
least, 1t is much greater than that to which
our earth is exposed. The quantity of
heat received by Mercury varies from
four times to ten times what we have
Only imagine what would happen to US
if the SUMS light and heat were increased
four-fold, and then extend your concep-
ton to an increase ten-fold. / think |
need hardly say that the heat in that case
would be so great that creatures such as
we are could not exist; animal life would
be destroyed on the earth if the sun sud-
denly gave out from four to ten times as
much heat as he actually does. Then can
there be inhabitants in Mercury? Some
say if only the atmosphere were very rare
which surrounds Mercury that planet
could possibly have life there In the
T0rrid Zone, at a certain height YOU
reach the snow line, and above that line
there would seem to be no life; but vet
1t does seem possible that life may exist
and does exist there.
But there is one circumstance that is
overlooked in that. In reality when you
go to the higher regions where the air IS
so rare, the suns rays are not diminished
The air does not get warm; it does not
prevent the heat from passing through it,
and in the shade the air is cold. But in
the direct heat Of the sun expose your
hand and the heat is more intense than is
easily bearable. Even with snow and ice
covering the mountainous the face and
hands are blistered by the heat of the sun.
We should have more intolerable con-
trast In Mercury than in the case of an
atmosphere like our own. There would
be very intense heat under the direct rays
of the sun, and comparative cold in the
shadow, and life would be almost unen-
durable to us; and if the atmosphere of
Mercury were so thin there would be
evaporation Of all the water, and there
would be another condition opposed to
n m q hot hatA For ltrr
is sufficiently great to make us doubt
whether life can exist on Mercury; | Will
not say such life as can exist on the earth,
but any of the higher forms of life, under
these conditions.
Mercury is a planet waiting for the time
when life may exist on it; when the suns
heat shall be sufficiently reduced, and
then life will be as comfortable as it is
on earth. Here we are introduced to con-
siderations of great Importance in this
point of view of life in other worlds.
Though life now exists on the earth, there
have been long SUGGESTIONS OF ages during
which life has not been possible on earth
and there may be long SUGGESTIONS of
ages during which life will be tolerable
on the planets. A planet is intended to
support life, but not for all time, but for a
small portion of the planets existence
Now, coming to the gravity of the
planets. The gravity Of Mercury, owing
to its smallness, is 50 reduced that one
pound would only press as four ounces
or five ounces; and here we are intro
duced to consideration of the impor-
lance of gravity to ourselves. We some
times look on gravity and weight of
matter as being an Inconvenience rather
than otherwise, but if it were not for
gravity we should be continually at a
loss; objects would not stand firm, and
we should stagger for want of weight,
and would be in that difficulty which we
find in endeavOring to walk in water be-
yond a certain depth. As you know,
divers wishing to walk about in deep
water have heavy weights attached so as
to keep themselves in that place
1t is an absolute necessity, therefore,
that gravity should exist, and what we are
in the habit Of looking upon as an incon-
venience is, therefore, in reality, a very
important part of the earth's economy.
VENUS.
But I now pass from Mercury to the
next planet. Venus But Venus is too
gloriously illuminated by the sun, and
the application OF the telescope is Gisap-
mounting Again, we never see Venus
under proper conditions. You never see
the whole portion of the Illuminated
surface. When Venus is nearest to the
earth the sun lies in the same direction,
and therefore Venus turns her darkened
side and cannot be seen. When beyond
the sun his brightness obscures her the
only time Venus can be studied IS when
she is on the two opposite sides OF her
pa n, and then she is seen either as
glOoous, moon or a half moon. we
know, with respect to Venus, that she
aelng very much nearer to the sun than