The Rock Island Argus., 1884-02-22
WONDERS OF THE SUN.

What astronomers have learned about
the sun is so wonderful that many find
it difficult to believe in such maryels as
real facts, not less certain than what
we can learn about a flower, a rock, or
an animal. | am going to describe
some of these wonders. | cannot ex-
plain how they have been found out, or
why the astronomer is certain of their
truth; but can promise not to describe
as certain what is in any degree doubt
ful, so that where do not tell you there
is doubt you may rest fully assured of
the truth of what | say.
The sun lies about ninety-three mil
lions of miles from the earth. A train
travelling five hundred miles in a day,
which is about the rate at which the
train from New York to San Francisco
travels (neglecting stoppages), would
take about five hundred years in travel
ing this enormous distance. The suns
light, which travels at the rate of one
hundred and eighty-siX thousand miles
in a second, takes nearly nine minutes
in reaching us from the sun; so that if
the sun suddenly became dark, or any
other great change happened to his orb,
nearly nine minutes would pass before
we became aware of the fact.
ENORMOUS SIZE AND POWER.
1t viii easily be guessed that, lying at
this enormous distance, the sun is of
enormous size. You can hide the sun
with a one-inch globe, set eight feet
from the eye, or with ten-inches globe
set eighty feet from the eve, or with
any globe set one hundred and eight
| times its own diameter from the eve.
This shows that the suns diameter is
one one-hundred-eighth part of his dis
tance, or, roughly, about eight hundred
| and sixty thousand miles This is about
| one hundred and eight times the diane
ter of the great globe on which we live
| 1t is a curious chance, by the way
| which causes the same number, one
hundred and eight to appear ttCtce.,
in this way. We may thus obtain 6
useful help to the memory. For since
the suns distance exceeds his diameter
one hundred and eight times, or in the
same degree that three yards exceed:
one inch, while his diameter exceed;
that of the earth in almost exactly the
| same degree, it follows that:
First. if the earth is represented BY {
one-inch globe, the sun on the SAINT
scale will be represented by globs
three yards in diameter. And second
", if the sun is represented by one
inch globe, the suns distance on the
same scale will be represented by dis
tance of three yards.
The sun has surface equal to abou
eleven Thousand six hundred times tn,
surface of the earth, which, as yoi
know, contains about two hundred mil
lions of square miles. His size exceed
that of the earth no less than one mil
lion two hundred and sixty thousant
times. But size without strength woult
be nothing. The sun has to govern tn
family of worlds travelling around him
This he does by pulling them contin
| actually drawn closer to him,--iust a
a man is always pulling towards him
weight which he swings round his hea'
with a string, though the weight al
ways remains at the same distance fror
his hand. 1t is the wonderful pOwe
possessed by all matter of drawin
towards it other matter "a power whic
we do not at all understand. | must re
G mark, which thus enables the sun t
fl act as q ruler of the family of bodie
e called the solar system.
i His enormous size might lead you
:, think he was even more powerful as
+ ruler than he really is. He is one mi
> lion two hundred and sixty thousan
times larger than the earth; but he onl
contains aboutthree hundred and thirt
thousand times as much matter. Sti
even this is enormous, and means enOl
nous power. Ii the earth had sue
J. power, the quantity OF matterin poun
: would press downwards with as mucl
force as three hundred and thirty thou
sand pounds weight at present, A NAL
who weighs only one hundred pound
would in that case weigh thirty-thre
} millions of pounds, or would in fac
! be crushed perfectly fat by his owl
5 weight
1t is this tremendous power residing
in the suns mass which enables him t
guide the planets in their paths so tina
they never retreat too far away fror
| Hill dUu SO ICCGINt lUU llIl1t Htdts LII
draw too close to him so as to receiv
? too much.
LIGHT AND HEAT.
But again, neither size nor powe
| would make the sun fit ruler of tn
/ solar system, without light to illuminat
his family of worlds and heat to war;
them. Let us see how much light an
how much heat the sun gives out all tb
time.
To get good idea<of the SUMS hgl
we must remember his enormous exter
OF surface The earth's surface contain
two hundred millions of square mile
: the suns is eleven thousand six hundre
er times greater. Each square mile cor
or tains about three millions of squa1
a. a. yards, each square yard about one thol
" sand three hundred square inche
ly whence it follows that there areroughl
y eleven thousand six hundred times tw
Es hundred million times fhrpn rnillin