New-York tribune., 1875-03-10
COMPARATIVE SIZE OF SUN AND EARTH.

From such distance the sends to us across the
great void Of amount OF heat which, familiar
as we may think ourselves with It's Effects ade-
uuately coppreheDds We know that it Ia now pouring
upon the earth that nearly measuress radiation which
sufficient to sustain all life on lis surface, from that
Of the date palm the scOrchng glare of Sshara's
waste 10 that OF the sea-weed the bottom OF the
deepest ocean Bat II Is not to the earth
earth speeds along it's orbit 1t necessarily
regions where the heat Is flowing, pouring out on all
not; mat waro the great annual orbit strung
with globes IKE oars as beads upon ring, each
world now, whio yet greater streams would still
above and be- 20 far as know. wasted. IL is nearly
useless TO present illustrations OF the amount OF TINS
all the leo in the world could be collected and stored
upon plain till 1t formed pile 80 miles IN olameter
Antsrcue poles and sl tue supply of the temperate
Jones Let this be supposed TO be shielded from az
there Winter after Win er had formed miles
On o1s % as 10 Sas 10 the Now let the
heat which the sun constantly sendlng out DC turned
might be melted into, and finally TO dlsspate the whoe
in vspor would occupy the SUMS ordinary radiations
Now what sort OF thing is the fire that can do this,
and which we call tho Suni Is 1t indeed thing sub
ject to natural laws. IKE the fire the hearth oris 1t
something DeyonI theni To the ancient % world IA the M
question presented none OF the difficulties 1t docs 10 US
Seeing that the Sun not only sent out such nconeeva-
ole amounts OF heat every moment out a @
struck ali by the consancy or the ranlatlonue-
sustained and in divine; or, to express their
thought in familiar language that the Sun shone
because It's nature TO, aud that beyond this In
1uiry only useless but irreverent Ills idea
look entire Of ancient opinion and so c0l0re
AZ through succeeding centuries that TO the medeyal
mind there nothing absurd In the idea
of creating portion OF this eternal, essential name
philosophers lamp went together with That Tor the
pbilosopher's stone. There Is beautiful use made o
this nearly forgotten but once universal Dee In the
LAY the Lust MINSTREL" In which, after the well
known go describing the effect OF moonlight upon
Melrose Abbey, follows one, describing the opening OF
this secret had the ever-Durnng lamp placed with
him the tomb. Here the poet has resuScltated Tor
belief which had It's distant crin III the popular
conception OF the suu something which could shlne
forever without fuel aliment But let such passage
marks to us clearly that this belief now belongs TO
Tor literal iact tue history OF which we now enter
MEASURING THE HEAT OF THE SUN.
We comme nee search by the assumption that the
Sun Is subject to natural laws much the fire which
warns the ROOM and neither the other
Give out heat or light without source OF supply
In asking what constitutes the scientific method
10 follow we learn that scientific thought is IN
different from common thought except In its use OF
more vigorous bod and In It's se6iug TO verify every
idea pursuing 10 10 some consequence the truth OF
fasIty OF which can be demonstrated by actual meas
urement and facts and figures. Accordingly instead
of continuing speak OF the Suns heat hs moasureless
LOT Us try 10 measure IT, Our step will be actua
measurement OF the heat which falls on any definite
area this beng known however small this ares
is. we plaluly by simple multiplication, ma how
much heat falls surface, however great even on
that OF the entlre globe.