Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-11-03
Distance OF the SIM.


Imagine prisoner confined within -
y hich hes a singular circular wlndov ~,
six inches IA diameter Suppose him -
prov with accurate Instrument, ~
conceive that directly In front Of ths wt,a.4
and somewhat more than a half al.
there Is an objeet-say steepls--who,s ~
lance he wishes 20 determine Then
menrs consideration viii show that ub,,a-1
tlre accursc, Oi his instruments. ana 49,.
ever his sAii. in using them, vet MIN III
base llHe Of only six inches be could M,
peel an error Of lees than At least half nj.
Ia hls result.
,lhe position OF such prisoner eorresro,a.
closely with that OF the inhabitants AZ a.
earth limited 20 their little globe, le,s ~.
500 IA les Ia diameter. as a base from vhisl
TO estimate the distance Of the sun, up warl,
OF ninety millions OF miles away.
But ia some respects our prisoner i hs,,.,
situated than the inhabilants Of the es,,k
A single observer, using In one place a slpg,.
set of instruments, Is not troubled gub ~.
numerous important considerations whloA
affect the value Ot the work done Ia two ~
ssrystoFies situated on opposite sldes d n.
earth. Different Observers Win A,
peculiar, perhaps variable. personal soa,.
lon"--nusI be sgnpiOTei; OF else a sln,l.
observer, having completed SERIES Of ots.,.
yati0ns ia que hemisphere, must c0mmsuss
new series tSheu, perhaps, important ehsny.
e. may have occurred In bis observing oa.6.
IiesJ 10 another b lfeF5ni Instruments. s.es
uitu its peculiar Instrumental rquaiios >
must bc sinpioyed, or else the same ia.,tu.
-. a. "a ~
sorts u changes 10 Hs performances, from a,
TO anuIher hsmisphsEe Of the globe. D.ase
euess * climate have also u ~ isfs4
Abi. Ia fact, yhs attempt ~ obtain aar a..
rfoagh % a EuoHlr.i 81 % the sanfs dlsl,ssa
simply IS raaksag ass o. bass lius On %,
sinai. eArsA may u pronounced ausl aisJ
bnusless.
NUa 10 Eetaga las fn0msns 70 oar tr.st.
co. ID lheg- arFr 1bF ess Intervening bstusss
blfn ami gAs ztrepar, a4d Il be had g. -
tHCaHs Obtained tcflalu kn0air1ss u gbs
70 aElYc distances 81 kue sgret4e and u tks,.
oDlecs', tg Is Gear hls uoueF oFsF bis tFoal7a
WO4ll be svrsEiy Increased IT.. tHp fea4sf
look lEUu opposite aides IL nladJa n oas
jeels uurqaa ~ distant Uat heafiy Ia a.
SANG dlgrctt0H, sHd he vii Immediately -
the suFt u use our fris9Hrs mishs mlke = ~
ku0HleLsr Nr have suoAea Of Ms mar ket
Indeed EuUa tho exact mathematical gFinsk
pes Involved 10 the prob em. nor pQali ska
bc lhr plaes 10 rIpiatn theta, bnE he sll tss
that gbrfu 10 a1melhtHs taHstbie aal zbtfses
abe ia The nea form ~ observation
SSu. the observer on earth has az Gag To-
Irrvais, al Uug0ftaulty VI graspiug al s9ns
sura ala a, hsye eoacriisd ayttIssls q
our pfboart Esnas aud MrFrafy 5etAaiga.
ally pass heiarca tkE ear % ani EHe s4a aa1
by Observing gl-if Igaussts esre;gIiF ig5a
diIrfsn, paFIs = tEu rarth. astfoapuss liars
been ave . gaia lgsirr Cphcrptaslat % its
tu4'a aa1aure than ihrY eua = el6sga.ss
base aht4.url Al no iiff.euiJlFs, n1HrrFT
ab.r3 ue have nlsB slpnssi ataTs age iH3l Fs4
De tHs 81 u.lDa 10 lbl' iasn, slssA ~ tee trsa-
trm.
Set Wiki na nlher all aal With lhs a3a,
para .gtls tUfs frirng sustsuHFaga ~ tee iAH
ssHEur.. o. fan. mere nsanassd % de,sfmias
tNy H4g IstE4ree aiEh wNaI uaF iasHf e
,rRHai 7z.u1FrfI' accuracy =erfta'alf alsba
enc anrsta4gtIEth pay 30 Ehs Nas 3aibpte
thit 70 be- 10 u4f tfsyaer shgait dc'cislas
thr 'srelle's 4t.aner atA!a ass - sGiI
garts
U4g tHr tstgouHfHsrs 81 ib- frsssht Oar.
attHs gaHesy % drl.rs1r mrsHg5i, aasa
whose nature We need u4i beers sHtw, htyE
1rtgri at fsurr trusts 9thf rrauitA kgm
uaas ws #a t1iN re great sciETsnsnl e
unslFrE sg-rErr Ihr fg'iuHtns srf pt TtiasA
IarHHg lsstr larmgarIigHHtsiYl alH1ps issaa..
'a.vss. though vel separated tfum t-s 81
at,gDrHusr llsnssu. max Ok gsr % lre1i,
t4Far.'F En SL~ moon W1tNln a. g1At, 80
lrj - Dig yIl8a 0' 20 GH0.utu miles siape q
che Green's eg phs-gFa,Jff aas lei b ~
sElns meaHt aIl Tho p0ciiiariEt vas etsl.
mattel Ny Hfgrf tusifHErutRi. g. tsr raluf
E&fFb ~ go isa " npss Er AMI si9ar. lfen
observations x Mars obtained rsapsdlvsl{
tbo y1.grR ? utHU fnUrt sui Fi tna0
mics E'tWtlTs fuHHart on : cutnsafissa
~ iH- yHfyoHI p. lsEst srr lsfsrwlUTsl y ~
-Epramrn6G 4l fraa aHl Fpacsgis visa
%. assfnnaa.ra. lsErrutD1tl7s. siFr vaisf
70 VI, NH#} W..0t Ahi lastly zbg 20 iaAif
obtained by W. Simon Nrac1mh ttHiis4
siRirsI, founded Ca observations p Mars
l5'a, mFNr fhr suns distRHcs VttfR1
miles, III" tsrau 90 these values .s 9istfl,9N
miller, ~ rrarir Gsl,naO mlgs less than 'hi
greatest estimate
Frln the aU5Vr results a viii IL ssse thst
astronomers Uvevrsslmatri tbr acsgfREH q
thc.r ca COALITIONS. when Sbey rEusettrd ~
sun'a o Instance as Il d weFH kubHn CORRECTLY
w!.h.A q thousand miles Hut w mar iuiAJ
sona7F HS tho results recorded R-tafaiuE
20 our illustrative prisoner II Il ~ " ~ ~
tlmates ~ tho sts0plp'a ttalsncs differed ifam
thoir nran W. less than fourteen yardA--
L0ndos spectator