The daily gazette., 1879-10-16
other Stellar Systems.

Nor in this all The Milky Way is
merely the vas stellar system to wh en-
all the stars and the star groups iodica-
ted upop our maps belong Al its wheel
ing suns and systems Of at endant planets
are removed at infinite distances from
one another, a. our snn u lnhniteiy re
moved from the nearest nxeu STARS but
yet 10 Ia our own stellar system anu III IL
we are here at home.
As we look up ir,o the arht sky, we
are impressed by the numbers OF tine
visible stars of different magniludes.
We perhaps think 1t too great to be
reckoned. But IN our briRht's st sky OF
winter. astronomers tell us, we never see
quite three thousand stars. They tell us
fur rther that for each of these stars, and
more, exists mighty stellar system. in
many cases countless more vast than
our Own-just AZ our sun Is believed to
be merely u star of average size in our
system! And vet so far sunk into space
are many of these systems that the most
powerful telescope cannot resolves them
into stars, and the nebulous Light OF the
entire aggregation Of suns, moving at
the awful speed of eleven million u lies
per minute, has been ten thousand or
more years on its way to our earth.
A century or more ago, not only the
character but the very existence oftbese
nebula was unknown. A century hence
| with improved means Of observation in
| the Increased powers Of the telescope,
and the Thousand star systems now
known to exist will probably be increas-
ed to ten thousand, while other ten
Thousands may yet remain hidden in the
dark profound beyond to challenge the
Investigation of succeeding ages.
And where at last will be the end?
"ELd there is nose." sail the angel, "tc
the universe Of GJd. LO! also, there is
no beginning"
DwARFING ITS FAIR PROPORTIONS.
Thus we start with the earth and &c
| from near to far until we pause at last
overwhelmed with immensely
We know something of our Earth and
| of the sciences which the active mind OF
men has developed npon it-ihis vas
museum of wonders, whose beauty glad
dem, whose sublimity awes, and the
mystery of whose varied being chal
lrnges investigation on every band. We
know of its teeming life IN the amin a
world, Of the endless variety and prof,l.
sion Of It's vegetable creation. of its ex
haustless wealth In minerals and metals
We know of Its towering mountains
wide plains, vast forests, great rivers
lakes and all embracing sea; of its tw'
hundred million square mills of lan'
| anu WdLfT SuTIdCtp III NiA w thOEC bCl
tillions (6 ,O69 600 900 900 900 000,0 ton
OF mat er, soil liquid, ga,eous and) mo-
ten-th-se things, IN part, we know
We know of its ''clOud-capt towers, II
gorgeous palaces, its solemn temples,
its crowded capitals and powerful ma
lions, and of its twelve millions of hu
man inhabitants, thrice told for eac
passing century.
We read its history, its science, its lei
ters, its laws, and its seems, 1t Is,
mighty world! Nor are we amazed tina
map, in the pride of his Intellect and ie
norant or careless of aught beyonC
should fall down AID worship himself it
lord.
But the astronomer comes with tele
srope and mathematical able.; and 500
he grea' earth begins to dwarf its fa
: prOportiOus-as "ohat for which SUI
moon, and stars and all besides hav
heen created" Jupiter that seemed s
small Is 800 times its bulk; while til
SIN, which il forced back by the remOrs
less instrument more than bin.ty mi
lions of miles into space, is nearly, l ,a
times the mass of Jupiter.
Soon sister planets are announce
whose distance are such as make the su
a very near neiglbor. Then the neare
stars yield up their dread secrets Of dis
ance and magnitude, and as We think {
these We seen able, almost, to reach o.
and lay our hand Ou Neptune, the mo
distant planet.
The more tiistant stars in the constt
p lations about us force the nearest We
near, and these in turn are driven near
oy the remoter millioDs of the NH
Way, until at last our en- ire stellar sy
TEN seems but home, and We hold Il
: breath unconsciously as We contempia
TIE awful distances at which Thousand
of other stellar systems are sunk into I'll
Infinite realms of space.
Thus in the slight of modern astr
. nomical science, which tells us of
, hundred millions of suns and suggrs
untold myriads of planets revolvir
about them-the dwelling places of II
telligent beings-the old expression taxi
oa new and Infinitely 'ublimer mea
ing, and "The heavens declare the Rlo'
of God" with a grand. nr cf eloquen'
! we had little appreciated. Again v
know, ~ never before, that "His grea
ness IL uns searchable."
And yet, He marks the fall of the spa
row and the iading of the flower.