The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-04-04
pebulae do exist, and In various states Of

II, but teven develops the exact chemlca
condition Of the lum!niIerous body emit
ting that light. Dir. Herbert Spencer had
distinctly formulated the laws Of the evo
luton OF planetary system from nebu-
lous mass, in an essay written In 1854,
i've years before the discovery Of tht
epectroscope, and In defining what mus
be some OF the accompanying manifesto
lions OF such o development, he displayed
most remarkable scientific provision. His
statements Of what should be the condition
Of various planets, and what should be
the composition Of the sun, by the require.
mentS OF the nebular hypothesis, met with
q complete verihcation In the subsequent
revelations OF the spectroscope. And the
laws go formulated were simply scientific
deductions from well established me-
chanical principles.
THE ORIGIN OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
Mr.. spencer's reasoning wss substanti-
ally as follows: Given q mass OF diffused
matter, such as we fndin an existing n Q.
bula, what would DO its actionE Being
at first In q nearly homogeneous condE.
ton, as regards!constituti0n and density;
the mutual attraction Of It's atoms would
tend towards q concentration about the
general centre Of gravity, At first its pro.
gress would be slow, since its extreme
tenuity Of aggregation implies wide dis.
tribution Of matter through vast region
ofspace, and consequent feebleness Of
attraction among It's constituent particles.
Moreover, the condensation Of matter in
wolves the production Of heat, which,
until dissipated by radiation into sur.
rounding space, would counterfeit the
gravitatlng tendency Of the nebular sub.
stance. This, however, being gradually
overcome, the atoms Of matter would ap.
proach toward contact, until between Ger.
tain masses chemical union would occur.
But chemical action implies molecular
motion or the disengagement Of heat, and
will impart greatly Increased tempera-
ture to the condensing body. The com.
bination Of atoms produces molecules,
which by their superior gravity will tend |
to collect In masses or hocculi, denaer |
than the surrounding matter. These foe.
Gull, from their greater weight, will now |
move faster towards the common centre
OF gravity, not in direct lines-since
the lighter and more slowly NOV.
ing medium will offer resist.
ance,-but in q curved or indirect route,
whose direction will be determined by the
shape Of the mass, and the character OF
the surface 1t will present to the opposing |
medium, much as q sheet Of paper or a
kite will act in falling through the air. |
But 1t will soon happen that the larger
nocculi, or those whose shape gives them
while falling, the greatest angular veloci.
", Will cause the surrounding medium to
yield TO this inward and side
ward impulse, and 10 accompany the
denser bodies in spiral progression to.
ward the centre OF attraction. This will
bring about an increased resistance to all
docculi deviating from the common course
and in time will cause them TO approx
mate toward the general plane Of rota-
lion. Now when the particles Of a mass
Of Vaporous matter are mutually attract.
ed and are removed from external in.
duences, their tendency Is, in accordance
with law OF physics, to assume q spheri.
cal form, as the air blown inside q bubble,
Or as falling molten lead makes shot, or
as descending water forms drops. As the
gaseous body harmonizes more In general
aud as condensation and
chemical union still continue, increased
rapidity of rotation results, while still
lurther heat is evolved. But IS the We.
!ocity OF q rotating vaporous or liquid
body is heightened, It's centrifugal force is
much increased, and this manifesting
Itself most powerfully about tho equa-
Iorial region, the globular mass gradually
contracts Its poles and projects lts cqua.
tor, until an oblate spheroidaI or lens.
shaped form is finally produced.
TIE FORMATION OF PLANETS.
Condensation Of the oLlate spheroid
and its velocity being pro-
portionally augmented, the tangential
at the equatorial circumier.
snce becomes so great, and the centrip.
'tal force ia so weakened, that ring
Ilowly detaches itself from the contract
ing mass. This ring still rotates about
"a parent spheroid, yet possessing little
cohesive power It soon breaks up into
sections. But the probabilities that these
sections will be OF equal mass and edui.
distant from each other, are nearly as in
Unity TO one against It. Hence, contin-
ling in their orbital course, the larger
portions will by attraction retard the We.
Iocity Of the sections in advance, and &C.
celerate the speed Of those following,
until finally q conglomerstlon of the de-
tached fragments will ensue, and by vir.
Lue OF the law which determined the
.orm OF the parent body, will become like
TIA spheroid. This has been beautifully
illustrated by an experiment Of II.
who having mixed q quantity
Of alcohol and water in such proportion
IS to suspend a fixed oil near the centre
81 the vessel, pouredin few ounces Of
the oil. Freed from attractive influences,
The oil at once assumed globular form.
By an ingenious continuance the oil was
then made to rotate, when 1t gradually
expanded into an oblate spheroid, and its
velocity being increased, rings began to
detach themselves and reVolve about the
central portion, as do the rings Of Saturn.
The movement being then continued Tor
! sufficient time, these rings at length
broke up, and becoming IN their turn
rotated as satellites about their
primary. This subject Is too compre.
hensive however, TO be contracted into
oRe article, and will therefore resume
It's consideration in another paper. |
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