The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-08-02

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 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 microscopic, by means of his
powerful lenses, which, in effect, enable
him to bring the object he is studying
exceedingly close to his eye. sees a dull
speck enlarge into a wonder-world OF
minute creation, so our man upon a
comet, merely by approaching close to
the solar system, has seen twinkling
star enlarge into blazing sun, and out
of its rays emerge q crowd of worlds,
basking in its heat and light, and pre-
senting spectacle that might make an
angel exclaim with establishment and
delight. From the cold and darkness
and consequences of space the wander
ing comet has borne him into the glare
and hustle of solar system. He cannot
doubt that If his celestial courser had
carried him into the neighborhood of
some other star he would have beheld
scene equally or perhaps even more
wonderful.
And now the comet enters the solar
system and rushes headlong in among
the planets toward its center of attrac-
ton, the sun. Agreat change gradually
takes place in its appearance. Perhaps
the comets rider could tell just how
and why it occurs, but astronomers
upon the earth have never yet been able
satisfactorily to explain it. At any rate
it begins to assume fiery aspect.
From faint cloudy object it becomes
blazing meteor, throwing out behind
it glowing train that stretches like a
conhagratiOn across the sky, and adds
millions upon millions of miles to its
length as it approaches the sun. Now,
indeed,
The comet he is on his way,
And singing as he flies;
The reeling planets shrink before
The specter of the skies.
1t must make the blood of the man
upon the comet tingle when he per-
ceives the terror and establishment that
his fiery courser inspires among the
worlds he passes swiftly in his flight.
| What if there should be q collisionp
But luckily for him oil gates are wide
open, and he has clear road, this John
Gilpin of the skies.
| AS he darts across the orbits of the
planets, supposing the direction OF the
comets motion not to be greatly in
clined to the general plane of the sys-
tenn, he is able to study the aspect OF
the various worlds. Terrestrial astron-
omers can never have such views as he
gets of those outposts of the solar sys-
tenn, Uranus and Neptune. He obtains,
perhaps, an insight into the nature and
constitution of the splendid rings that
encircle Saturn, to possess which Cali
leo or Herschel would almost have bar
tered life itself. He perceives in Jupiter,
far more clearly than we are able to
do with our greatest telescopes, the
marvellous phenomena of giant
planet which is just being born out Of
the chaotic elements of an extinguished
sun. He has close view of some Of
the throng of minute planets that cir
culate between Jupiter and Mars
planets Wnicn are SO small, some O
mem, GnaI tneIr eqnaCors might serve
as race track LOT w es.on anu mower
anu inc other go-"s-you-please Peues
Crians'
what wonderful sights may ne mo-
behold upon Mars, world that has
advanced IN Its planetary development
many ages beyond the earth, ana tc
whose inhabitants some astronomers
nave not nesitated 10 ascrloe acnieve
ments that would be as impossible tc
the descendants OF Adam as the
prldging OF the Atlantic ocean.
HE can obtain most striking view
OF TINS living eartn ana It's DEAD com
raae, the moon.the one whlrllnIe
swiftly upon It's axis ana enjoying tn'
rapid succession OF Gay ana night; IT.
waters sparkling IN the sunshine; III
green prairies ana forests glowing witt
neauty; citles dottng It's suriace;
cloud-peopled atmosphere surrounding
IT, vegetation covering the slopes OF IL
mountains ana ITS oceans, as well al
It's comments, hlied Win PERCUSSION o
me from us luxurianG equator 10 III
snow-capped polesi the other hanging
almost motloniess upon IT'S axis,
worn-out World, Wlthout ar, Wltnou