The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-05-13
IKE r1AIrLs or rHr SUN
Some recent discussions Of the constitution

Some recent discussions OF the constitution
OF the sun have turned In part upon what II
known a. the suns proper motion In space.
This IL one OF the most rprising and interest
ing things that science has over brought TO
light. aud yet II is something Of which COM
paratively few persons have any knowledge.
1t 10 customary to look upon tho sun as II It
were the centre Of the universe. an immovable
fiery globe around which the earth and other
planets revolve while It remains fixed In one
place. Nothing,couldbe further from the truth.
The sun IL. in fact. tho most wonderful OF
travellers. He 10 flying through space at the
ratio Of not less than n hundred and sixty
millions OF miles In year. and the earth and
her sister planets arc bis fellow voyagers which.
oboyinG his overpowerinG attraction. circle
about ahin a. no advances. In other words.
II We could takc UP position In opcn space
In advance OF the sun. we should see him rush
ing toward US at the rate OF some 4jO. 900 miles
day. chased by his whole family OF shining
worlds and tho vast swarms OF metooric bodies
which obey his attraction. Tho general direc-
ton OF this motion Of the solar system has been
known since the time Of Sir William Hersche
1t lie toward the constellation Hercules. which.
at this season. may be seen in the northeastern
sky at . o'clock In the evening. As the line Of
this motion makes an angle Of fifty odd degrees
that the earth Is not like horse at q windlass.
circling around the sun forever in one beaten
path. but like ship belonging to feet whose
leader 10 continually pushing its prov into
unexplored waters. The path OF the earth
through space "a spiral. 30 that 1t Is all tho
time advancing into new regions along with
the sun. She 10 on u boundlcss voyage Of dis
covery. and her human crew are born and die
in widely separated tracts Of space. Think Of the
distance over which the travels OF the sun have
borne the earth only since the beginning OF hui
man history! Six thousand years ago the earth
and sun wero about a million millions Of miles
further from the stars in Hercules than they
ar0 to-day. Columbus and his contemporaries
lived when the earth was in region ofthe uni
verso more than sixty thousand millions OF
miles from the place where 1t is now. SO that
since his time the whole human race has been
making voyage through space. In comparison
with which his longest voyage was rs the foot
step Of n fly. Thus the great events in the
history OF the world may be said to have occur
red In different parts OF the universe. An al
most inconceivAble distance separates the spot
Will ch the earth occupied in the time OF Alex
Rnder from thut which II occupied when Caesar
invaded dau!. The sun and tho earth have
wandered 30 far from their birthplace that the
mind staggers In the attempt to guess ut the
stupendous distance which now probably sep
.arate s them from IL, II may be that the the mo-
sun and many OF the stars his fellow suns. are
revolving around some common centre. but II
the form or dimens ions OF his orbit. So far as
we can see the sun Is moving In q straight line.
to Ge sa
are seen to follow from the motions that have
been described. solid globe like the earth
| will encounter some resistance. II the medium
be exceedingly rare rs It must be in faet. the
still. the earth. owing TO the inclination Of Its
axis to the plane Of its orbit around the sun
would encounter the resistance OF the ether
| principally on its northern hemisphere IRON
summer to winter. and Oh its southern hemi'
| sphere from winter to summer. But in conSe.
auence OF the motion OF the sun shared BY
the, earth this law OF distribution is changed
and from summer to winter the earth ploughs
through tho ether with its north pole foremost
| while from winter to summer. although the re
sistance Of the ether is encountered more even
ly by the two hemispheres. vet 1t is, still fel
principally In the northern hemisphere. ane
the south pole remains practically protected
1t follows that the southern hemisphere. ant
| particularly the south polar regions. arc NOR
or less completely sheltered the whole yea
around. II might. then. be supposed that thu
aside by the earth in its swift flight and tn,
COMPRESSION produced 10 front OF the advancing
the northern hemisphere as compared with tn,
| southern hemisphere. while the south pole. DO
ing more or less directly in the wake Of tn,
| ether. would constantly possess remRrkabl!
| low temperature.
| Now. 1t is known that the south polar re
| gions are more covered with Ice and snow thar
| those Of the north. and that the Temperature
there the year around is lower. Whether thi
| difference Is owing to the effects OF the earth
journey through the ether isla question.
The sun. too. moves with his northern hemi
| sphere foremost. and IT Is worthy OF remarl
that 1t has been suspected that the northern
hemisphere OF the sun radiates more heat thai
the southern.
But. whatever effect 1t may or may not hay
upon the meteorological condition OF the earth
| tho fact that the solar system is thus voyagini
through space is in itself exceedingly interest
ing. Not the widest travellers dream present
to tho imagination such u voyage as this u!
which every inhabitant OF the earth is bound
glance At . star map shows that the direc
tion in which We are going is cnrrying us TO
ward n region Of the heavens exceedingly ric
in stars many und perhaps most. OF which ar
greater suns than ours There can DO littl
doubt that when the sun arrives in the neigh
borhood Of those stars he will be surrounde
by celestial scenery very different from. an
much more brilliant than. that Of the region C
space in which he now is. The Inhabitants G
the globe at that distant period will certainl
behold new and far more glorious heaven.
though the earth may DO unchanged.