The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-02-21
WONDERS OF THE SUN.

What astronomers have learned about
tho sun is so wonderful that many find
hdffeult to believe in such marvels as
real facts, not less certain than what
seean learn about a flower, a rock, or
az 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
a certain what is in any degree doubt
iasso that where / do not tell YOU there
doubt you may rest fully assured of
The truth of what / say.
The sun lies about ninety-three mill
lions Of miles from the earth. A train
trave3ing five hundred miles in a day,
which is about the rate at which the
taln from New York to San Francisco
travels (neglecting stoppages), would
lase about five hundred years in travel
as this enormous distance. The SUMS
hight which travels at the rate of one
H4ndsed aud eighty-six thousand miles
y aseeond, takes nearly nine minutes
. areaehing us from the sun; so that if
'ae sun suddenly became dark, or any
aaer great change happened to his orb,
ntaTlY nine minutes would pass before
se became aware of the fact.
ENORMOUS SIZE AND POWER.
,lnefAl easily belguessed thai, lying at
as enormous distance, the sun is of
aorf1ous size. You can hide the sun
9sa one-inch globe. set eight feet
u9m the eye, or with ten-inches globe
Nseghty feet from the eye, or with
ely globe setsone hundred. and eight
" gaieS ITS own diameter from the eve.
las shows that the suns diameter is
" 9ne- ses-hnndred-eighth part of his dis.
@aSe, or roughly, about eight hundred
~ ax'Fthousand miles, 'fhissis about
sae hundred and eight times the dame
Nio s., the great globe on which we live.
LIS isls curious chance, by the way,
saleal eaa'ses the same number, one
s4satea .Ia and eight to appear tiosce.,
M s,as way, We may thus obtain
Sle nelp to the memory. For since
.lssan's distance exceeds his diameter
~ hundred and eight times, or in the
sae degree that three yards exceeds
sa, ~ men, while his diameter exceeds
''s s,ssol the earth in almost exactly the
I qqgree, itfellows that: ~ ,
a!se Il the earth is Represented bv a
~ .1aaen globe, the sun on the same
tssss, ,ss viii be represented by globe
l n ards in diameter. And SECOND
ssh ule sun IS represented by one
nn. ,a gone, The suns distance on the
i,sa. s seale w viii be represented by dis
my q three yards.
~ sun has a surface equal to about
s,,.a ~ ahonsaEh SIN Handled times the
ksas. ol the earth, which, as YOU
lass y .0olleains about two hundred miE
ia y y square miles. His size exceeds
M s Y the earth no less than one nil
lns, ne s hundred and sixty thousand and
leSsAi l,. DQt size without strength would
iaaIh The sun has to govern the
Ns y 9 worlds travelling around him
aal,.aae aoes by pulling them oontin-.
asa,s, sSpwsfds : him, though they are not,
an,s alawn closer to hina,- lust as
veiSls : = s.Ways pulling towards him a
gtS which sl: he swings round his head
sag', ,.,,ag ssfing, though the weight al
hslssa at the samedistance from
1asssssas' .s'i' i1 is the wonderful power
tow e{ all matter of drawing
Ne "a s 81 Y other matter Ga power which
i mass ~ alt understand, I must re-
y aetssI 9alttn thus enables the sun tn
alas ~ ruler s Of the family Of bodies