New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-08
TIE LECTURE.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN / have tonight to
speak subject not astronomical in ITSELF but ono OF
those TO which the study OF astronomy naturally leads
Us suppose that there Is no thought more common or
which has ordinarily entertained thsn this
that space must necessarily be infinite. Utterly incon
ceiyable, though, the idea Of nfnity Is Ev-
,ry one must have had the thought that
II you take line, Us IL were, @ line through space
IN any direction there boundary the line may be
carried onward and onward, forever and ever. and
whether 1t meets solid substance, whether 1t arrives
ct o void space, still 1t may be carried onward and
onward, and SO forever; but that this SPACE
In that direction must be infinite. To q student
OF astronomy this idea is, perhaps, more naturally
presented than any because he is in the hao OF
considering telescope power which carries the minds
eve were, further and further into the depths OF
space still without any limit Thus the idea of the In
fnity OK space is the with which the student OF
astronomy naturally has TO deal.
We begin, then. with this subject Of the infniy OF
space first OF ALL because 1t is The best able
10 deal with the one about which feel the most
tain. We NAV entertain doubts to infnty Of time, in
past OF In future; although, shall presently show,
inhnty OF time idea has not near as
much force upon that OF infnity Of space.
In n1nity OF space recognize view that We must
hold We have. then, something that is lncOnceivabe,
and that yet must be admitted. And want, this even
lug to bring you the idea that that which is in
conceivable may necessarily DO that which
is true So. incOnceiyable is this idea OF
indnity OF space, the idea that all
around us there immenses Of space. not merely as
Sir John Hersche has said, practical nnity. but real
;nny absolute indnity, gong on forever and forever
But then astronomical view OF this ques-
cn OF the inhnty Of matter 1t has been shown that If
there spread throughout the universe an Infinite
number OF ike the stars spread uniformly through
space then II eau rradiy ne shown that the whole
OF the heavens ought TO glow with the same b1ghhess
the suns surface II does not matter now Tar apart
those may DO. or how small their dimensions might
them. still you would have the whole OF
Tho heavens glowing with the cory OF sunlight unless
Light were gradually eXtngnshed as IT travels through
space For let this be remembered ANY group OF stars
OF limited extent would look as bright wherever 1t were
placed ~ you carried II a"ay-H IL lay at a ceItaln
dSance-the stars composing II would gather certain
portion apparently occupied By that group Now, sup
he stars would only part OF the APP
parent dimensions that they properly covered Dut tnen
ao the group W0oid only oOA ohe-nenuLenth par ni
the sHe. Aud therefore as the quantity OF light wOuid
De reduced IN prOporuoh 10 Ine ulS'ao wy so an ,
brightness would remain nhateI9u ineietore !, ioI
lows II you space hled with an INFINITE NUMBER
Of stars. separated by any i avgTsse distance
That space would have certain brightness;
the portion next beyond 1t OF the same SIZE
next beyond that the same. Now suppose that That
brightness Of which l nave been speaking was u
InIIonth part of the same size In other words the
space that the sun occupies IN one OF those
groups covers hut the One-millOnth part or the
space that the whole group appears 20 OCCUPY
then the next group covers another mlnOhth, ana
you only require to take milon OIL tnoSe g IOupS 20
have "a million tunes the miliionth part OF sunlight;
with the glow of sunlight. And so We come TO the con
eusOn, n spread Infinitely through space the
Ifthst is noe the case then We are forced the
that light must be eXuDgushed as 1t travels
through space.
A METHOD OF EvADISG THE ASTRONOMICAL OBJEC-
Tons TO ISFINITY or MATTER.
And yet there Is a way to get that which had
1it NJ hut
Hsrsohe lie points the fact that the Dimensions OF
the several component parts of any system are very
email compared with the distance that separates one
from the Other And when y9 pa TO sy' OF 81 ae
fist system are very small compared with those
Of the For instance take the solar system Inc
dimensions OF the earth and other parts OF the solar syS
ten are very small infinitely small compared with the
distances that separate the various parts Ol 'ae system
paris the solar system from each other are small
sysfm from IT. neghOorng in space. Proceed
TO higher ana will see tnat the dimensions OF
the universe are very small compared with the ans
tsrces that separate it from its neghoOr1ng universe
Go on that way carry up the order of systems higher
higher without limit; ana then II you Apply 70 ys
TENS of that kndf apply TO them process OF cat
cuaton-y nd that longer have you that result OF
heavens that glow WIN the glory OF snnnght, Dut
instead of mat you have any order OF brightness
YOU please according to the relations you NAV suppose
between the parts OF system ana the distances
that separate from the other. Ana thus we
have TINS curious conception OF the inhnty OF
in that ninity OF matter have TINS conception, that
4 may he "A "a
and travel along that twig until sou come to where
JOINS next twg aud so on unl you come 10 Where IL
Joins the next twe ana you nave M bs naipt
you come branch, and then 10 larger Drahch ana
you 20 on larger order anu then you nave
the whole tree at last, ana there gu enu. out you
heve In the innity OF matter and you choose 10 reel
that there Is a continual passage from one
system 10 another upwards gradually increasing, or
dOwnwards gradually dmimshbg, then you. no
longer have tue difficulty OF which speak, and IL APP
pears TO me il we accept Infinite space we are almost
bound ~ accept the ntuty OF matter Otherwise see
Tue difficulty In which We hand ourselves suppose that
Occupied space has certain matte extent. let that
be IL there lies outside OF ~ an INFINITELY
inccpgruous that you occupied space which
naltey small in proportion 10 the unoecupied space.
The ,dea of the infinite occupied space Il beyond
powers OF conception; but not whit less beyond our
powers Of conception is the iaea o, an lhnne' pn
master IA infinite and that an infinite quantity Of mattes
occupies space
MFIsrrY OF TIME AS WELL AS OF SPACE AM
MATTER.
And thus we are led to the next point that we have
deal With an infny Of time We are very naturally LEI
20 from the pAuty Of space 10 the nnty of time
DO this way that the only way the human mind can DC
come with the character OF matter is Dy IN
flight OF light And then recognize this that ever,
part OF space We have not yel Ueoon q npvevs,
Light messages that we know not o. We are anheu
ately ied from the inhnity OF space " the lnnny
space an Infinite ne quantity which extends IN ever
direction 80 let us take an ninSe hne IN Tune Ley
baofward DO we come 10 an endi Is IL no
thing that Car have eDdt You com
TO the beginning Of all things that side. the begin
ming OF al created matter. Beyond al that is the In
finite void Of time Suppose 70 the end OF al
things beyOnd all that Is the lntnlty OF Tune the iDtn
its void of time. We either us Infinitely
idea that the whole Of time has been is
pended past and future The idea that the who'll
OF time has been occupied By the occurrences o
events OF the idea that there has been som
part OF time unOccupied. Both Ideas are equally mpol
able to conceptions. Since Doth are equally ineon
ceivsble. we would naturally take that which Is mos
tonRru0us the idea that the whole OF tInie mas bee
occupied led again 10 the utterly lnconcevabl
teea that there be no beginning ana no END On