New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-07
THE LECTURE.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: In the last lecture
dealt with the question OF life in other worlds conslu
erug the state Of the various planets AMI taxing inc
analogy Of our own earth the guide In my lecture
to-day shall consider the probability that the various
stars that we see are present the ceDcrs OF schemes
OF worlds and that in those worlds there may De me-
and shall touch also on some OF the cohdl'ohS uu'
which lie may exist in those worlds; but before PRIV
coed to The subject would remind you that III ueaiS
A have done with the theory of Ike in other "orus'
have not been guided by fancy III mas ho' pce
merely TIE expression opinion that this or tnat
theory has been better than some other theory, ouV
have presented subject as modern knowledge aOIus
US The light have analogies to deal wi'h anu
not false auaiod, aud knowlcdge Increases we are
able 70 prove estimate OF what this earth teaches u9
I'M BASIS or ANALOGY.
r,r cvsr,plc when Brewster was advancing the
~r mat a th. orJs IN space are the abodes OF me-
he took ta analogy in this He pointed out thaV
ali the part OF the earth are inhabited that IL seeheu
the purpose OF the Creator TO supply NO mos' aoun
dainty on land in sea, in temperate zone. In torTld
zone and in arctic zOne maintaining IL al al Hsh's
above the sea lever and all depths below the surface
Of the earth Every part of the earth seemed tosoe
intended 90 BE- the abode OF life. That was true
analogy; but tacu that shows US only In what way
world is inhabited when 1t is passing through the spe-
cial stage OF time intended for Its Availability We
must not overlook other analogy Of the past cond
ton Of the earth that shows us 50 clearly those
loDs intervals Of time when life at all ex-
l,tcd and we are bound 10 take this analogy
and to accept not as mere fancy, but probable
theory the view that the orbs forming the SOAR
system arc only intended to be for short time the
abode OF life. Then may proceed to inquire whetnef
this or that member of the solar system seems to be at
the present time likely the abode Of life. 1t seems
10 me IL is the Just way view the matter We are TO
form our idea OF the solar system from the knowledge
OF our earth which is member OF 1t; and 30 IN the
case Of suns, we must take what we know OF our
"brisht. particular star"-the sun-and from that
knowledge whether the sun is intended to be Tor
the greater part OF ITS existence the center OF the plan
etary system AID then what the conditions are under
which the various planets travelling around other suns
may probably exist We will have the room dark
ened and view Of the sun placed upon the screen
CONSTITUENTS OF TIE sun.
Nv ANALYSIS we can see the suns light spread out into
rainbow streak crossed by number Of lines which
indicates that the suns great central mass consists Of
LIQUID or solid matter glowing with intense heat but
relatively cool yapors cut of portion OF the light
The spectrum before shows the lines OF Ffaunhofer
The pictures OF the stars about TO show you were
not used in my former lectures the stars but they
have specially prepared. Mutitudinous as these
lines appear before you they but few of the number
that ready exist The spectrum is covered by myrlads
OF these lines In order that here, in the two former
cases we have something TO satisfy us that we are
not merely dealing with the work of the artist, we shall
have another picture brought on the screen in which
YOU will find what the has himself done In photo
graphing his spectrum. The upper part shows the
picture by Kirchof; but the other shows the
lines photographed simply by their own action, and you
know it truly indicates the nature OF the solar spectrum
And now when We pass to the stars find there is
resemblance generally in their character to the solar
substance and here we led to the thought of the
wonderful variety the system, the lines indicating the
presence Of the hydrogen existing with various de-
grees density, seeming TO imply various degrees OF
size in the stars assume that one of these
alan aDfS faFufla RI
ourselves in quantity propOrtionate to its mass, then
those OF less specific gravity will extend above the
others and the larger will have the lines Of those
elements strongly shown. Here another picture
showing the characteristic differences. In the upper
most picture you Will see the lines OF by
drogcn strongly shown, and that spectrum belongs
90 what 1 call the kingly order OF stars
Here is Sirius 5000 times the Of sum- and proba-
bly, having therefore, the various elements in its sub
stance corresponding proportion. We cannot wonder
them that that and others show the lines of hydro
gen strongly marked they here Indicated In the
next spectrum exhibited stars showing apparently
resemblance in constitution. The third pic
ture shows us stars probably resembling in hav
ing spots upon Them and spots much larger that the
light OF those would seem 10 vary greatly. Our
own SUM- be II remembered, is a variable II he
were watched from distant point he would be
found vary brightness during those II years that
the spots seem TO wax and its surface. We
are forced to believe that these not sufficient
20 supply light and heat.steadly TO the earth.
UNFITNESS OF CERTAIN STARS TO SUSTAIN LIFE IN
PLANETS.
There before you is the Betegeux and there is
that other and wonderful which has received the
name OF "Myra In the Whale" which changes in bright
ness We can hardly conceive that life could exist in
world circhng around such star Imagine what it
would be IL our varied constantly in brightness, and
sone,nes only had brightness onehundredth part OF
that which il now has! We begin TO tnd among the
stars signs that they are not at prtsent|aha perhaps
some them may have been-h TO be the scheme
of circlng worlds. ,,
Here is another picture showing how Dr. Higgins and
Miller studied the constitution OF the SUM- Inete you
see lines the solar spectrum, ana the various
lines OF the elements compared by Dr. Huggns Win
those existing ID tie atmosphere OF lhht star. Ut
gins found in the uDpermOst STAR AdeDaran niue Vi
our familiar elements with the probability that many
others existed He found mercury, iron, Sodlu calc
um anthony. &C. and here then We IND that lesson
which seems TO teach that although any particular
star life in the worlds crcllnR around H.
yet seem TO the purpose Here ~ contains tne
elements with which we are familiar We AnS% our su
contains tue same elements WHICH tne snJ
thus we infer that world Circng around central
sun constituted in the same way LOOKING az the star
Aldeharan we infer that these elements exist III the
worlds circlng around II. ..,- -. l.,
other worlds reasoning creatures We ma as
very little interest in the question or LIE AT all ne
great point OF interest 10 us whether there De Vhg
creatures reasoning as we 40 capaDie vi
wonders around them and recognizing the nature OF
scribe; FOR shall describe TO the condition OF life
IN the world circling around the colored stars We
know that the existence OF upon the earth u much
shorter than the existence OF animal me- and stu shorter
than animal aud vegetable NE conDlhed ana 80 we IN
tenslfy the argument IN view Of TINS iact.
This picture illustrates the way IN which the cOOrs OF
the double stars are brought about. Inc uppermOst
ucture shows the eadi.g lines in the solar spectrum.
Below the two speciruns OF the double star Beta
in Cygnus. double star having one eOsp cd,ri
analysis shows why these colors exist That ~
is not Inherent III the heht OF tho,G s.aIs, ou;
that their atmosphere cuts OH certain parts OF
the light and leaves the balance Of certain cOOfs'
In tie th,rd spectrum ycu soc many bands or lines
ffa INV nd