The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-03

Deen DTOuHnt out VI, Ut NfNoh oA W WV n"t
from the time when II was "a nebulous mass
alllng the entire space presently occupied blythe
solar system and extending into space indeh-
nltey beyond the outermost planet down TO
the present. Now, by the time THE Debulous
mass had been condensed 40 that the earths
present orbit should be outside OF t-and
before that time our globe was necessarily a
part OF the fiery mass-a considerable portion OF
this total amount Of heat must have been given
on Therefore the quantity OF eAiorio which
might yet be received from the sun was by so
much the less at the time whom the earth's geo
logical history began, which could not have
been before the sun had cooled down to WITHIN
the limits OF the earth's orbit.
Let US assume that by the time the mass Of
the sun had condensed to within the space en-.
circlcd bv the orbit Of the planet Mercury tnat
niles the earth's crust began TO form ana icy
this he the time when the geological nlrtoIy o,
our globe dates It's conlmencement. me . t9,ai
amount of heat generated by the condensation
of the suns mass from sphere OF TINS sise 70
ts present volume would equal l9itoVO years
sun heat. The amount OF original heat gwen
out during that time would equal 4s,tz5OO
| years sun heat thus giving a total OF 6e,S6bvv
| years sun heat enjoyed 10y our globe since that
period. The total quantity may possibly, OF
course, he considerably more than that owing
| TO thc fact that the suns density may increase
greatly toward hIs centre. Tut we should re-
| quire TO make extrsvagant assumptions regard
| Ing the interior density OF the sun ana the
| =
| condensation before we could manage to a9-
| count for anything like the period that geologi-
| cal phenomena are supposed by some W oe-
| mand.
But n, before condensation, the suns nebu-
| Ious mass possessed AN amount OF heat 40 pro-
| digious, equal, In round numbers, to OOO'ND
years sun heat what was its source2 The by
| namical theory Of heat shows that two bodies,
| each one-half the mass Of the sun, moving
directly toward each other with velocity OF 40
miles per second. would by their conclusion
generate In a si,lole moment the 50,0OO,OOO years
heat. For two bodies Of that mass moving with
a velocity Of 416 miles per second would possess
tlt9xl0'' foot-pounds OF energy Ia the form OF
VIZ vtpd and this, converted into heat by the
stoppage % their motion, would give AN amount
| Of heat which would cover the present rate OF
the suns radiation for period of 6O,UO,Vs
years" The Uncomfortable amount OF boat gen
Grated by such collision would turn the two
bodies into vapor and when they cooled they
would become one spherical mas. GravltatiOn
alone would not canse the two bodies to APP
proach each other with such velocity. They
might, however, have a speed Of their own inde-
pendent OF mutual attraction.
We know nothing whatever regarding th'
absolute motion of bodies Ia space. And he
yond tue limited sphere of our observation, We
| know nothing even OF their relative motions
/, | There may be bodies moving IN relation Ia on
| system with tncOuCeiNabie velocity. ftT any
| thing that we know to the contrary, were one o
| these bodies 10 strike our earth, the SHOOK
. | might be sufficient To generate an amount o
heat that would di-sipate the earth into Napor
| though the striking body might not be heaNie
than n cannon ball. There IL, However, nothiul
very extraordinary In the velocity which We hav
found would be required In the two suppose
: bodies to generate the JhpO,uJ year, heat;
| comet having an orbit extending To the path @
tie planet Neptune. approaching so near tn
sun as to almost Craze his surface In pAssint
would have a velocity Of about 30 miles pc
aagnuA which IL within eixhty-HiN miles OF ID
, required velocity.
lat In the original heating and expansion o
| the sun into a gaseous mass, an amount OF wor
| must have been performed against gravitauo
equal to that which has been performed !
grayitatiOn during his cooling and condensation
, a quantity which We have found amounts 1
about aCo10O0 years heat, The total amount {
energy originally communicated by The concur
. sion must have been equal to 7O0U.s0 year
z sun heat. velocity Of o.: miles per seeon
, would give this amount IL must be borne
" mind, however, that the S3 miles per second
J. the velocity at the moment OF collisiun. Ahoi
T one-half 1T this velocity would be- derived frol
Z the mutual attraction of the two bodies
their approach to each other suppose enc
= body to be equal In volume To the sun and
Ie course ons-hAf the density. the amount OF v
~, locity which they would acquire by their mutn
attraction would be "a miles per second, cons
queutly have to assume an original or pr
" jected velocity of oniv ~ miles per second
mass 81 With 'T, TIE s !. Som NJ sSs sn
~. PRIOR 70 condensation In = heated cOndltIoi
ana II 81, W. are further obl god to admit nj
. we mas must have received lts heat from son
h source or other. And a. the dissipation OF h :
- ".o spa'c must nave been going on, In all pT,
hablll}' as rapidly before as after coudensaiit
: TOOK place we are further obliged 10 conrllt
, uhs' .ns neat must nave been communicated
. me mass Immediately before coudensaiion Ia
10 sah, Tor ne moment the mass began 60 ,oss .
O heat condensation wuuii ensue. II we connr
our speculatons to causes and AgsnrIs. knnr
. To eAist the cause which las been As,igne
10 appears To be the only con cs,yAble one Thai W,
o account for the production Of such an emo
: nous amount Il heat.
Inc general conclusion to which we aI
t" therefore led from PHYSICAL confederation. 4,
l. eaIulNg the age ~ the suns heat H. thh, III
ehtlfe geological history OF our globe must
comprised within less than lonIutisH ,
years anu tHat consequently tao commenc,
ment OF the glacial epoch cannot date niue
further back than 2iU,tsJ yoaIs