The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-07-28

oiroumscribas tho probable knowledge OF the
Most High. Whyf venture to say that the
patient and holy Job had better conception,
three or four Thousand years ago, of the plan
and structure of the universe than our most
advanced ''scientists" of to-day. job standing
at night ON the northern hemisphere Of the
earth lin Eyria), looks upward and says OF
God "He stretoheth out the north over empty
space, and hangeth the earth upon nothing"
Chap xvi.
really cannot see how our learned profess
sors of to-day conld speak more correctly and
eloquently in describing the power Of God as
display ed in the visible universe. To any
ordiosry observer Of that time the north
seemed spread out orer the earth but Job knew
as much about 1t as we do. His words were
written ages before either Ptolemy or Coperni-
Gus existed. How did he knowf
But let MS return to our subject. For several
months preparations have been going forward
for observing the eclipse tomorrow (Mondsy,
Jolly 2s), especially near Pixies Peak, in Colo
rado, not far from Denver. The reasons why
more extensive preparations have been made
there than anywhere else are asoribable to the
superior advantages Of that locality. 1t is
near large town (Denver) from which the
food and other necessaries; and in going
men can travel nearly the whole distance by
rail. Besides these reasons, and much more
important than either, is the fact that Pixies
Peak. having an elevation of $4,000 fset is
within the path of totality. 1t is well known
that the earth's atmosphere has great effect
on the phenomena seen during an eclipse.
rw1x-
eclipse without the interference of the
atmosphere; but as that is impos-
sible they do the next best thing,
which is to penetrate upwards through
the air as far they cantor instance, by
ascending high mountain. As most of the
atmosphere lies within 8 or miles Of the
earth's surface, the opportunity afforded at
Pixies Peak of observing this eclipse from an
elevation of more than two miles cannot fail to
give important results. The observations
taken at the foot of the mountain can be COM
pared with those taken at the top, and the pro-
bable appearance If the eclipse as seen by an
observer situated entirely outside Of the earth's
atmosphere deduced theEefrom. 1t is true that
speotrnm analysis has revealed the existence of
incandescent metals in the sun, and Of many
minerals whose properties are known to ne bat
it does not reveal to us how they ore combined
with others and consequently we are ignorant
of the effects of their combinations. The out
ward diameter of the sun 10 al. 900 miles, that
is about "a times greater than the diameter of
this earth. The outer surfaoe which we see Is
called the photosphere because the light pro-
oeeds from it. The photosphere is hollow, and
within it, at some distance is q vast sphere or
globe which is supposed to be solid. Some
scientists think that this inner sphere may be
habitable. Others think it is not. Flames
have been eeen to rise from the surface of the
outer sphere or photoephere to o height of
lis 000 miles and conhagrations have been seen
| rising in arches and spires and masses, many
| thousands of miles high, which have suddenly
| disappeared, as if in consequence Of sudden
and terrible explosions, leaving no trace of auy
disturbance whatever! At the same time
the suu furnishes light and heat with
great regularity. How it does this, what
it consumes, and whence it receives it's supply
of fuel is entirely unexplained at present. OF
course there iB no lack of ingenious supposi-
| tiops as to how all these things are DONE but
they are only suppositions. In fIct, it may be
| truly said that the ancients knew as much
| about the sun as We do. They assumed, OF
course, that, if it was q vast fire. it burned like
our fires and consumed substaDc ces like those
we know so well ; and spectrum analysis and
the telescope and 90, forth enable Us to say
substantially the same thing.
Ibave mentioned these things merely to show
why eclipsea, especially total ones, are SO very
interesting. We are superior to our anoeators
who were afraid of eclipses, only in the fact
that we have the benefit of their experience
while in the absence of printing and of the
consequent general diffusion of information
they did not have any such advantage.
If the moon moved round the earth in the
same level with tho sun, it is obvious that an
eclipse of the sun would take place once every
% days, which is the time occupied by the
moon in travelling around Of; for, once in every
revolution of the moon it would come directly
between us and the sun. Bat the plane of tn.
moons orbit is iAolined at an angle nearly
constant, and the result is that it always passe