The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1874-08-07
Prepared for The AEgiS d. Intelligence
Planetary Bulks and Spaces.

The proportionate distances and sizes of
the bodies of the solar system may be COM
pretended by comparison with familiar
bulks and distances, which will bring the
incomprehensible numbers down to some
thing tangible.
Place in the centre of level plain of
sufficient extent u wooden or canvass ball,
three hundred feet in diameter. 1t would
be about as high as Trinity Church steeple,
Broadway, New York the highest struc-
turc built by man on the continent. Let this
ball represent the sun. Now at few yards
more than two and a-quarter miles from
the central ball, place little ball slightly
more than one foot in diameter; this will
represent the planet Mercury. At little
more than four and a-half miles from the
centre, place ball about thirty inches in
diameter; this will represent Venus. At
about six and three-quarter miles from the
centre, place a ball about 80 inches in
diameter, this will represent our earth.
How diminutive, compared with the great
central ball. Thirty-two inches to three
hundred feet And what an impossible
gulf of distance to the central orb, in di-
ameters of the earth. Thirty.two inches
to six miles! At six feet and eight inches
from the earth, place ball eight inches in
diameter this will represent our moon.
At about nine miles place ball about six
teen inches in diameter for the planet
Mars. After the three first planets note the
great space between the earth and Mars.
At distance of about thirty-one miles or
moderate days journey from the central
ball, place ball Twenty-Five feet in diam
eter for the great planet Jupiter. Between
the balls for Mars and Jupiter, scatter about
one hundred and twenty-six little balls,
from the size of grain of sand up to eight
inches in diameter; these will represent
the asteroids, the 124th was discovered
in December, 1879. think some Others
have been discovered within the last year
and a-half, which l cannot certainly recall.
When as u boy l studied astronomy only
four were known; Juno, Ceres, Pallas and
Vesta, the largest about the size of our
moon.
AT about fittysc miles from the central
ball place Saturn, the planet with rings
| twenty seven feet in diameter; at one hun
dred and fifteen miles, or at about twice the
distance Of the last, place Uranus, twelve
| feet in diameter, and at one hundred and
eighty-two miles place Neptune, globe
| twelve feet in diameter. Observe how
comparatively near the centre we are placed.
| We receive nine hundred times more light
and heat cateris paribus, than Neptune.
Now if we would go out from our sys-
TEN to the nearest sun, Alpha Centauri,
probably the centre of another system, lin
all the heavens the fixed star, nearest to
us) find that en- our scale of about three
thousand miles to the foot we should have
to put the ball for this body at distance
of l, 900 miles from our central ball, or
about five times the distance of the moon.
A body moving five hundred miles per
hour would require in round numbers AGO.
000,0 900 years to reach this nearest fixed
| star. G. G. &.
Fallston July goth, 1874.
| - .
VERY SCHEAP UP DEERE. Hans Won
dcrsplocked bought a piece of land in the
city, and upon it he proposed to erect a
building that should serve him for store,
mandatory and dwelling. When he
came to strike for the cellar he directed the
mason to go several feet deeper than had
been planned.
But" expostulated the architect, "you
are deeper than ever heard Off
Every goot," replied Hans, 81 shall go
shoost ash deep ash please, l bleave owns
tie ground all tie way through"
His answer to the builder was equally
pat and ready. The building had gone
up four stories, and Hans ordered another
story.
"But, my dear man." said the builder,
"do you realize how high you are going 2
Your building is already II full story above
those around it,"
"Never you mint dc oder houses, mine
trient. l builds ash pleese mitout caring
for dem. wants on dat oder sthory-- land
id ee'y scheap up dne."