The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-06-07
4 RIDE UPON A COMET.

NE-T FL-l--si WY q ~
The Simultaneous presence of the
planets Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Jupi-
ter, and Mars-a string of briIliants
hanging ;tdown the western heavens
rendered the April evening skies par
ticularly attractive this year. At II
single glance the observer could see
nearly the whole planetary OF the sun,
the earth's brother and sister worlds in
shiningiarray. II requires no astrono-
mical Instruments to perceive that these
planets shift their places from week to
week; that some are slow-paced and
some are swift footed: that some shine.
with q dazzling whiteness and others
with leaden or rudy hue, and that
they all diaer, in appearance from the
fixed stars vi t-tt
This brilliant procession Of worlds is
spectacle Of intense interest 10, every
one who stops to consider how closely
in origin and destiny, as well as in
physical resemblances, 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 a man couldiri,le upon a comet as it
approaches the system from outer
space, he would obtain true concep-
ton Of our situation in the universe.
Suppose our rider meets his comet
hundred thousand million miles from
thesun. Even then he has not traversed
one two hundredth part of the interval
separating the sun from the nearest
liked 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 toga star, and wrinkles among
It's 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
diffuse their radiations.
And that little point of piercing light
yonder; that insignificant star, is the
sun, which was wont to she'd such an
incomprehensible blaze Of light; to turn
night into day whose rising was like
new creation of light and lite upon the
earth? Ay, there is no doubt of il.
Thus at one stride into space the star
queneing sun is diminished to spark.
And where are the planets, where the
earth? Hidden in the rays of that
star. The height from which Lucifer
descended when ksf
- From morn
To noon he fell, from noon to dcwy eve 49,
a summers day; and with the setting sun. )
Dropped from the zenith like a falling STAR
was q trihe 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
theamultitude Of suns which sparkle in
the gloom of space it is the nearest. bar
The comets motion is accelerated.
and gradually the star-like sun increases
in apparent size and brilliancy. After
\ time il becomes clear to the comet
rider that out ofthe abyss of immensely
hcsis appfoaching one of the populated
places of the. universe. If we suppose
him endowed with a most piercing
visionrsand in the clear ether even
ordinary vision would possess extraor-
binary power-he may sec, in different
directions, other comets journeying
southwards, and perhaps meteors in
swarms and sing!y, 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 approaches it, and
If he had any means of measuring his
velocity the passenger would perceive
ing frightful. Now he sees that it is a
metropolis of the Universe he is APP
proaching 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 mnarets 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-
lievc has been demonstrated by means.
of comets which it has made prisoners
to the, sun turning them by its at.rac-
ton into closed orbits as they entered
the outskirts of the solar system He
sees this far-away sentinel planet re-
volvihg sit aatlistancsfrom the sun equsl
tonearly twice that of Neptune. Yet
from his point OF view it seems to be
Just 0ntside 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 TO view; next gigantic Jupiter
rolls into sight; then thatswarm OF tiny
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 teemiug millions Of meteors
that crowd the neighborhood Of the sun
appear in tArn, and finally the voyager
trsm outer space eeholds the whole