The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-12-15
Tho Crash OF Planets.

There is a prevalent impression,
writes Professor Young, that the Inn
munity from collision between the
heavenly bodies depends mainly on their
being held In orderly orbits by central
action; and 1t Is true that their orbital
restraint makes it quite impossible for
the planets to collide with each other.
or even to approach each other yery
closely. But a very impressive picture
Is sometimes drawn of what would hap-
pen IL the earth, for instance, should
ever Tree herself from the bonds OF pra-
yitation--how she would fly off into
space (Which Is true, OF course.) and
soon dash herself to pieces against some
other wandering world (Which Is not
true at all, or at least not probable).
Most likely, Il grayltatlon were sudden-
ly TO cease, the earth wonld travel for
millions, not Of years but Of ages, with
out ever encountering anything more
important Than mete0rs, such as are now
continually falling upon her surface.
Anu tnoSo meteOrlc encounters oven
would probably be- far less FREQUENT
than at present, since there is reason 70
suppose that such bodies are much more
numerous III the neighborhood of the
sun ana or other gleat stars than in tue
rest OF space. Evidently, however, the
attractlors between a wandering star
ana Others lying near its pain must con-
slderaDly increase the Chances Ut COLI
slon, though not to SO great all extent
as perhaps might be supposed. n body
entering our system AZ a distance from
tne sun one hundred times az great as
The radius OF the earth IS orbit. and NOV
ing With no more than the velocity
natural to comet at that distance
(aDOut two and two-thirds miles Der
second), would not strike the sun unless
It's path were directed within less Cl,an
halt degree (23.4) OF the suns centre;
ana II It's velocity were greater, tho ann
would have TO be still more accurate TO
score a hit. If bodies were shot into
space at random from the position and
with the velocity Indicated, only about
one III elghty-six thousand would hit
the sun.
Were it not for the SUMS attraction.
however, the proportion would be rwen.
W thousand times smaller stlll-onIy
one Ill seventeen hundred millions. IL
Is obvious, therefore, that encounters
between heavenly bodies of considerable
magnitude must be extremely rare.
There IS not In all the astronomical
record Il single certain instance OF such
an occurrence. And yet it may conli-
IDENTITY be asserted that some time or
other i'll the past such events must lave
happened, and some time III Tie future
VIII happen again, simply for tho roa-
son that, III sufficient length Of time,
s ts Dst ag as Bean hnssA1Ks H 9nly poI
never run into each other, because OF
the size and nature Of their orbits, but,
SO far as can now be ascertained,
nothing OF the sort holds good for the
motions OF the stars. Wealready know
enough about some OF their ,so-calied
''prober motions" to De quite sure that,
as a fact, they are not travelling III any
simple curves, around any common
centre, and also that some stars are
flying through space with such veloci-
| ties that 10 attraction, such rs can rea'
sonably be supposed TO act III tho prenll
ses, can control them. Nordoes theory
any more than observation, Indicate 1
structure OF the stellar universe at Ill
analogous to the planetary system
Among the stars there Is no centra
dominance and no imperial power, bu
we have to do with a republic OF com
paratively free and independent meli
| hnra