Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-04-09
ARE THE PLANETS INHABITED

PROFESSOR PROCTOR, the celebrated
English astronomer, recently delivered a
series of lectures on astronomy in Chi
cago, one of which related to the ques-
ton of life in the planets, in which he
advanced the following interesting facts
and theories, as we find them reported in
the Daily Tribune:
MERCURY.
To begin with Mercury, the nearest of
all these planets TO the sun. The feature
which strikes us first in dealing with Mer-
curry is the great heat to which that planet
is exposed. Mercury travels on an eccen-
trio orbit, and is exposed to greater heat
from the sun at certain times than at 9th.
ers. Mercury is at one time much nearer
to the sun than In another part of his
year. The year of Mercury is eighty.
eight of our days, so that in the course of
eighty-eight days Mercury passes from a
very great heat when nearest TO a COM
parstively less heat when farthest from the
sun. But, even when the suns heat is
least, 1t is much greater than that to which
our earth is exposed. The quantity of
heat received by Mercury varies from
four times to ten times what we have.
Only imagine what would happen to us
If the suns light and heat were increased
four-fold, and then extend your concep-
ton to an increase ten-fold. think l
need hardly say that the heat in that case
would be so great that creatures such as
we are could not exist; animal life would
be destroyed on the earth If the sun sud-
denly gave out from four to ten times as
much heat as he actually does. Then can
there be inhabitants in Mercury? Some
say if only the atmosphere were very rare
which surrounds Mercury that planet
could possibly have life there. In the
Torrid Zone, at certain height you
reach the snow line, and above that line
there would seem to be no life; but yet
1t does seem possible that life may exist
and does exist there.
But there is one circumstance that is
overlooked in that In reality when you
go to the higher regions where the air is
so rare, the SUMS rays are not diminished
The air does not get warm; 1t does not
prevent the heat from passing through it,
and ia the shade the air is cold. But in
the direct heat Of the sun expose your
hand and the heat is more intense than Is
easily bearable. Even with snow and ice
covering the mountain-tops the face and
hands are blistered by the heat of the sun.
We should have a more intolerable con-
y
atmosphere like our own. There would
be very intense heat under the direct rays
of the sun, and comparative cold in the
shadow, and life would be almost unen-
durable to us; and if the atmosphere of
Mercury were so thin there would be
evaporation of all the water, and there
would be another condition opposed to
ours 1t appears to me that that difficulty
Is sufficiently great to make us doubt
whether life can exist on Mercury; ! will
not say such life as can exist on the earth,
but any of the higher forms of life, under
these conditions.
Mercury is planet waiting for the time
when life may exist on it; when the suns
heat shall be sufficiently reduced, and
then life will be as comfortable as II Is
on earth. Here we are introduced 10 con-
siderations Of great importance in this
point Of view of life in other worlds.
Though life now exists on the earth, there
have been long SUGGESTIONS OF ages during
which life has not been possible on earth !;
and there may be long SUGGESTIONS OF
ages during which life will be tolerable
on the planets. A planet is intended TO
support life, but not for all time, but for a
small portion of the planets existence.
Now, coming To the gravity OF the
planets. The gravity of Mercury, owing
to its smallness, is so reduced that one
pound would only press as four ounces
or five ounces; and here we are intro
duced to consideration of the impor
lance of gravity to ourselves. We some
times look on gravity and weight OF
matter as being an Inconvenience rather
than otherwise, but If it were not for
gravity we should be continually at a
loss; objects would not stand firm, and
we should stagger for want OF weight,
and would be in that difficulty which we
find in endeavoring TO walk in water be-
yond certain depth. As you know,
divers wishing to walk about In deep
water have heavy weights attached, SO as
TO keep themselves in that place.