The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1886-05-15
The Varied my.terIs. of the Heavens.

Ii Is we'll known to all who have
paid the least attention to the study
of astronomy that our sun, with its
solar system, in addition to all their
other varied motions, are moving at
the rate of 100 100000 of miles year,
in what appears TO be direct motion
towards the constellation Hercules.
The region of space toward which this
movement is tending is exceedingly
rich in stars of peculiar briliancy and
many colOrs-the most of them are
much greater than our sun. Besides
the great constellation named we are
also approaching that of Orion, with
its galaxy Of green suns. This cluster
appears to be a golden cloud of stars
clinging together like swarm of bees.
and yet separated from each other by
billions of miles ofspace Within the
boundaries Of this cluster there is also
one of the most brilliant nebuI9 which
adorn the beayens-"the nebul9 in
Orion which may be distinctly seen
by telescope of the very smallest
power.
We frequently speak of our sun
moving towards certain point; but
we seldom reflect that while We are
moving towards a certain point or
certain star, that star Is also moving
with great rapidity-it may be away
from US, il may be towards us, Il may
be to the right or left at greater or
less angle, so that when we reach the
point designated the star we are now
approaching will be AS far away from
us rs ever. Astronomers tell US that
some stars are rushing from us while
others are rushing toward Us with
almost incfcditabie velocity.
Instruments have been constructed
which can tell with absolute certainty
whether We are approaching or receu-
ing from any given star. The stars
We call liked are 80 only because
their immense distance from Us renders
their motion Imperceptlble except to
The most delicate instruments of
astronomical measurement. Every star
in the universe has various motions of
revolutions on It's axis, revolution
around other stars and still greater
movements of which We can form but
dim idea. The whole universe il in
motion of the most inconceiva6l y rapid
character. The stars and suns are mov-
ing in every and all directions, but all,
no doubt, in circles more or less
elliptic. Nothing moves in a direct
line, curve Is beauty. motion is lite;
halt wsuld be death and destruction
New stars are constantly appearing
aud others are disappearing-that is
To our vision. No star, however Is lost.
The economy of nature is perfect.
The appearing and disappearing Of
stars is no doubt due simply to their
great or less luminosity. 1t requires
luminosity of the greatest brilliance
to traverse the inconceivable distances
OF inter.stellar space. A star which
might be very bright at certain dis
tauce would be invisible at greater
distance.
But the most wonderful and incom-
prehensible of all the mysteries of the
heavens is its vastness its utter
ilimitabiity. Should our sun or any
other sun commence moving in direct
line at the rate of thousand millions
of miles a year, ut the end of myriads
of years il would be no nearer To the
limits of the universe than when its
motion first began. Also the number
of worlds in space. Let the tiniest
drop of water represent a sun. then
count the number of such drops con-
tanned in all the oceans of the world,
and their number would but just begin
to represent the number of worlds in
space. Nothing but an infinite mind
can comprehend an infinite space.
Among the ether wonders now to
be seen i'm the heavens are three comets,
which ut present can be seen only by
aid of the telescope. Two OF these
will soon become visible in the same
immediate neighbsrhood in the north
western heavens. The third is about
disappearing from even q telescope
vision. Of wonders in the heavens,
rs we'll as upon the earth, there Is no
end.