The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-23
THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
Sixth Lecture by Richard A. Proctor ut
Association Hall.

sixth Lecture by Richard A. Proctor ut
Association Hall.
The sixth and concluding lecture OF Mr.. Proctor
on the subject OF Astronomy was delivered last
night to crowded and attentive audience. The
subject ch0sen-''rhe Birth ana Growth OF the
Solar System"-was one OF the most interesting
that could well be presented to the consideration
OF An intelligent and educated audience. Its vast
ness and compexity awe the mind OF the thought
full and give to It's study an absorbing interest
which does not belong to any other branch OF
human research. The very apparent dim
Guilty Of finding Q satisfactory solution to a
problem which involves the disturbance Of
beliefs in which tho world has grown
gray only sharpens the desire to penetrate into
those awful depths which open out to the mental
vision eternites piled upon eternities. 1t is no
light undertaking to attempt to deal with a prob
lem or such vast proportions in the few hours
which popular lecturer can devote to his subject.
In necessarily brief space Mr.. Proctor laid before
the audience a succnct statement Of the theories
held by astronomers like Lapiace, and showed
how the discoveries Of modern times
had tended to modify the opinions OF
scientists. Mr.. Proctor began by saying
that few subjects were more complex
or difficult to deal with than the solar system, and
that though the power Of thinking had been con-
ferred on the human race, yet 1t seemed impos-
sble to arrive at satisfactory conclusions with
out seeming TO break away from ideas upon
which the very foundations Of society are based.
Yet religion ought not to be q difficulty in the
way Of research, for though in peering constantly
into the heavens and watching the motions and
workings Of the heavenly bodies the laws which
rule them might not be found to be in accordance
with the old ideas, yet the discoveries might
of God. There were some people who
seemed afraid lest too much should be discovered
The conflicts between students and theologians
were to be regretted. TheoOgians apt to
look on all scientists with horror as nhdeis, and
scientists were sometimes betrayed into speaking
OF theOogians as men who were not honest in
their religious beliefs. 1t would be we'll il DO tn ex
hibited more charity.
One OF the strongest proofs that the planetary
system grew to its present state is furnished by
the fact that OF 142 stars and asteroids forming the
system all travel in the same direction, as do all
the satellites One exception marks this plane
tary rule. The laws OF probability, there
FORE point strongly to evolution as the
cause OF being. The theory put forward
by Laplace supposed that in the beginning nebu-
lOus masses extended far beyond the limit OF the
outer planets, and That this nebulous mass existed
in a vapOrOus state rotating through space. The
cooling of this nebulous vapor caused contraction
Of the mass, and the rotating motion the breaking
OF outer rings whose motion would no longer cor.
respond to that Of the great mass In this way the
solar system would arise. There were, however,
great difficulties IN the way OF accepting this
theory One strong objection to the theory was
that such an immense vaporous mass could not
exist rotating as whole. This theory OF contrac-
ton should give laws OF relative distance
and size. But the outer family OF planets are 200
times as great as the inner family, and these in
their turn are much larger than the middle family
or asteroids. There is progression, and under
this theory there Is nothing to explain why the
smallest family should be found in the middle.
While we must respect Laplace our knowledge of
the sun and stars and outer planets has so much
increased that we need no longer be bound by his
opinions. Careful observations prove that our
earth Is growing slowly, and though thousands
Of years would pass away before any appreciable
addition has been made, yet the present de-
veiopment OF the earth leads us easily
back to remote time when mereors
were more numerous The process OF analogous
growth going on In other orbs tends to convince
the observer that we have reached our present
condition by accretion, rather than by contrac
tion The lecturer then proceeded, by the aid Of
diagrams Of the stars and nebuous systems, to
point out some OF the countless examples OF nebu-
ious masses aggregatIng about stars, and to DEM
Onstrate how much more In keeping with the evi.
dent scheme Of the celestial system the theory Of
aggregation Is. The subject, Notwithstanding its
vastness, was treated simply ana clearly.
At the termination OF the lecture a resolution
thanking Mr. Proctor was passed by the audience,
and he replied in complimentary strain, acknowl-
edging the kin0ness and attention with which,
since MS arrival in America, he has been treated.