The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-06-05
4 RIDE UPON A COMET.

The simultaneous presence of the
planets Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Jupi
ter, and Mars-a string of brilliant:
hanging adown the western heavens
rendered the April evening skies par
ticularly attractive this year. At &
single glance the observer could SET
nearly the whole planetary OF the sun
the earth's brother and sister worlds in
shining array. 1t requires no astrono
mical instruments to perceive that these
planets shift their places from week tC
week; that some are slow-paced and
some are swift-foOted; that some shine
with dazzling whiteness and Others
with 4eaden or rudy hue, and that
they all differ in appearance from the
fixed stars.
This brilliant procession of worlds is
a spectacle of intense interest to every
one who stops to consider how closely
in origin and destiny, as well as in
physical resemblance, they are linked
with the globe upon whose surface we
pass our lives.
But the observer must in Imagination
place himself outside the solar system
in order to get a comprehensive view OF
its relations to the universe around it.
If man could ride upon comet as il
approaches the system from outer
space, he would obtain true concep,
ton of our situation in the universe.
Suppose our rider meets his comet a
hundred thousand million miles from
the sun. Even then he has not traversed
one two hundredth part of the interval
separating the sun from the nearest
fixed star, but he has left all the planets
far behind him. From that magnifi.
cent height and distance what a pros.
pect expands around him! Here he is,
out in open space, which spreads away
beyond the reach of Imagination in
every direction. There is no sunlight
here, for at this distance the sun has
dwindled to a star, and wrinkles among
its fellows. There is no air here, and
the vast dome of the universe is like
Jet, with countless millions of stars
glittering on every side like diamonds
in the black depths. Yet it is not even
starlight, for there is no medium to
-difluse their radiations.
And that little point of piercing light
yOnder; that insignificant star, is the
sun, which was wont to shed such an
incomprehensible blaze of light; to turn
night into day; whose rising was like a
new creation of light and lite upon the
earth Ay, there is no doubt of it.
Thus at one stride into space the star
-quencing sun is diminished to spark.
And where are the planets, where the
earth? Hidden in the rays of that
star. TIE height from which Lucifer
descended when
- From morn
To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve,
A summers day; and with the setting sun,
Dropped from the zenith like falling star, u
was trifle to this. Yet even here the
power of the sun is felt, for the comet
begins to obey its attraction and bend
its course toward it. because among all
the multitude of suns which sparkle in
the gloom of space it is the nearest.
The comets motion is accelerated.
and gradually the star like sun increases
in apparent size and brilliancv. After
a time it becomes clear to the comet
rider that out of the abyss of immensely
he is approaching one of the populated
places of the universe. If we suppose
him endowed with a most piercing
Vision-and in the clear ether even
ordinary vision would possess eNtraor-
binary power-he may see, in different
directions, other comets journeving
southwards, and perhaps meteors in
swarms and singiy. joining the general
procession toward the solar centre.
Already the loneliness of space is gone,
and his comet and the sun are no longer
the only material bodies within distance
measurable to human comprehension.
The sun continues to increase in size
and splendor as he approa hes it, and
If he had any means of measuring his
velocity the passenger would perceive
that the speed of the comet is becom-
ing frightful. Now he sees that it is a
metropolis of the Universe he is ap-
preaching. All roads lead to it; the
number of his fellow-travelers, coming
from every direction, increases They
draw closer together as they near the
focus of their motion.
And presently the solar system, this
great city of space in which we dwell,
begins to open upon his view as the
shining cupolas and minarets of Da-
maScuS rise from afar before the de-
lighted eyes of the traveller approach
ing across the plains of Syria. First,
perhaps, he catches sight of that mys-
FERROUS trans Neptunian planet. which
no human eye has ever yet beheld, but
whose existence some astronomers be-
lieve has becn demonstrated BY means
of comets which it has made prisoners
to the sHn-turning them by its attrac-
ton into closed orbits as they entered
the outskirts of the solar system. He
sees this far-away sentinel planet re-
volving at diStanc from the sun equal
to nearly twice that of Neptune. Y ct
from his point of view it seems to be
d. Just outside the RAYS of the sun. But,
forthwith, as he continues to approach.
he catches sight of another family
shining planet circling around the sun
much nearer than the first 1t is Nep-
tune Then Saturn with its rings slowly
energies 10 view; next giganii: Jupiter
rolls into sight; then that swarm of tinv
worlds, the asteroids; and then ruddy
Mars; after which our earth. with its
attendant moon, turns its round, spotted
face to his view Venus and Mercury
and the teeming millions of meteors
that crowd the neighborhOod of the sun
appear in turn, and finally the voyager
from outer space beholds the whole
solar system glowing with light and
beauty before him.
As the microscOpist, by means of his
powerful lenses, which, in eaect, enable
him to bring the object he is studying
exceedingly close to his eye, sees dull
speck enlarge into wonder-world of
minute creation. so our man upon
comet. merely bY approaching close to