Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-02-20
The Sun.

The Sun.
The sun, which to us does not certain
ly seem to be star, is in reality one of
the stars of the milky way. A million
and half times larger than the earth,
and 700 times larger than all the planets
together, he represents the whole plan
etary system and this system, which is
mere nothing compared with the stars,
he draws through the deserts of space
and these worlds follow him like
dark passengers carried away by a
splendid vessel on an endless sea.
He makes them revolve round
him, that they themselves may
imbibe in their course the support
of their existence he governs them with
his power, and regulates their formida-
BILE movements.
The size of the sun, ], 1000 900 times
larger than the earth, exceeds the degree
of our habitual measurements too much
for us to hope to give sufficient idea of
it. In the matter Of volumes, as in that
of distances and times, the numbers too
much surpass our ordinary conceptions
to appeal to our minds, and every care
that we take to represent them to our
selves remains almost sterile. Neverthe-
less, comparison will be able to inspire
at least nearer idea of the size to which
we refer. If we placed the terrestrial
globe in the center Of the solar globe,
like a kernel in the middle of fruit,
the distance of the moon would be includ-
ed Id the interior of the solar body; the
moon itself would be absorbed in it, and
beyond the moon to the surface of the
sun, following the same radius, we
should still have to traverse distance
of 100, miles. From the earth to
the sun are reckoned 81, 600, 900 of miles.
It is on account of this great distance
that this immense body only appears to
measure foot in diameter and this ex-
plains why the ancients, and Epicurus
in particular, did not believe it larger
than that measure. This distance equal
ly explains why it does not appear to us
larger than the moon, which is only
100000 miles away.
From considerations based on the
magnetic action Of the sun, we may be
led to believe that it's light is of the
same nature as the electric light, only
incomparably more powerful. However
bright our electric foci may be, however
dazzling their light, the wilderness of
which astonishes us when it is projected
on the solar disk the electric light has
the appearance of black spot.
The intensity of solar heat is not less
difficult to conceive the most intense Of
our furnaces, which rise to the temper
allure of white heat, does not give us a
faint idea of it.
However, the following few compari-
sons will indicate it's value. If we rep
sent the sun under the form of an enor-
nous globe built up of 1,400,00 ter
restrial globes, and covered entirely
with stratum of coal fourteen miles
thick, the heat which it pours out annu-
ally in space is equal to that which
would be furnished by that stratum Of
flaming coal. The solar heat would also
be capable of melting in one second a
column of ice which would measure
1880 square miles at its base, and 1872,
600 miles high.
Lastly, it is curious to inquire how
much this gigantic body weighs. It is a
good weight: 2,154, LOG, $50, 600, OO0,-
0OO,O0O, 100000 tons The mind can
not grasp the enormity of these figures.
IF this globe were in the present day,
as in that of Apollo, drawn by four
horses, it would be necessary that the
coursers had exceptional strength, espe-
cially to go round the globe in twenty
four hours. Now, following the suns
weight, that Of cur earth, expressed,
like the preceding, in tons, is 6,069,
10000, 000, 600, 100000.
When the astronomers place the sun
in one OF the pans Of the immense
scales with which they determine the
weight of the stars, it is necessary for
them to put in the other one $50, 600
terrestrial globes to restore equilibrium.
We need not fear, therefore, that this
gigantic body will one day be extin-
guished, leaving the earth in icy dark
ness. It possesses in its colossal reser-
voir sufficient number of degrees OF
heat for us to have before us millions OF
centuries, during which it would be i'm
possible for us, even if this heat should
decrease, to perceive it. o.