The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-25

| Ing him in regular orbits like his planets.
Another incident OF this wondrous voy.
age is the approach Of the meteors Now
and again the world Is startled by fiery
shower filling the heavens as the globe
plunges through the debris OF some old dis
integrated comet but encounters with more
scattered meteorlc matter are taking place
all the time. Millions OF these little bodies,
large enough to make streak OF fire at
night as they dart into our atmosphere tall 10
the earth every twenty-four hours. And
vastly moro numerous are the still smaller
particles that sift continually down through
the air. Prof. w1NcHEII has put the fact
very pcturesquely:
"out from the depths OF space beyond the clouds
beyond the atmosphere from RranAry OF material
germs which stock the empire OF the blue sky
rerpstuA but invisible rain OF material atoms-lke tho
evening dew emerging from the transparency space
into Astate Of growing visibility"
In some respects the most interesting Of
all the incidents OF this vast journey are the
falls OF meteorltes. 1t Is one OF the most
singular facts In scientific history that
while stones have fallen to the earth in
every age and country yet 1t is only within
the past hundred years that men OF science
have convinced themselves that such n thing
is really possible. We have all read the
story In Ivy how 1t rained stones in
Picenum the first winter that HANNIBAL was
In Italy. and how the supersttious Ro-
mans expiated the prodigy with a nine
days festival, which one commentator
assures US was 1.-The established rem
edy for fall of stones" Ancient
history contains many references to such
l>,,N IA 20 hn
fury to demonstrate that stones actually
come tumbling out OF the sky upon the
earth. They are simply part OF the forage
OF space that the earth gathers as it rushcs
along with the sun. They bring us strange
things: iron In condition which we cannot
produce upon the earth, nickel, and more
than twenty other known substances, in
GLIDING carbon, which in one instance, at
least, appears in the form Of minute dia-
monds!
But it is the sun that Is the leader in this
exploration Of tho universe, and the sun gets
most OF the spois. 1t Is the sun, not the
earth, that captures the comets and the
meteor swarms, and so prepares strange
spectacles to brighten the long nights OF his
unending voyage.
for the realms Of space appear to be mex
haustible. Is there any peril involved in
the adventures Of this great solar fleet Of
ours2 The possibility of collision exists.
but 1t is so remote that it may be entirely
As to what the effect OF COL
lision between tho sun and another body OF
equal mass and moving with equal or
greater velocity would be there can be little
doubt. In the whitening heat developed by
such collision We should be shrivelled I'D
like flies in a furnace. Still other possible
perils have been thought OF. Space is sprin-
killed. with nebule. The old idea was that
these nebulB are enormous masses Of gas,
but Mr.. LoCKYER'S new theory that they are
swarms of meteorites is finding wide accept
ance. Suppose the earth or the sun should
plunge into nebula, what then? II it was
D large and dense nebula, the results
might be disastrous; but if its constit-
uent meteorites were widely scattered,
the effect would simply be the production
of an uncommonly brilliant meteoric dis
play. But II We were approaching nebula
ne should know 1t. unless it had not suf- |
icient density to be visible, and in that |
case it could not cause any disastrous ef- |
Iects through collision. On the other hand, |
t may be asked, might not the introduction |
If foreign matter into our atmosphere even
n comparatively small quantities. produce
leleterious If not fatal effects? 1t Is not |
possible to reply positively to this ques-
ion. In fact, epidemic diseases and strange
conditions Of the atmosphere have several |
lines been ascribed to such cause. When
ha 10 fhnir
,earance a half a dozen years ago. many
supposed they might be due to an encounter
between the earth and n cloud OF meteoric
lust. Later Investigations however seem
o have demonstrated that they were caused
~ the enormous quantity OF volcanic dust
brown into the upper air by the stupendous
Eruption Of Krakatoa In 1888. The great
Try fog Of 1888, which covered Europe for
wo or three months and was accompanied by
diseases Of the respiratory organs, has been
scribed to meteoritic origin. The annually
occurring cold spsll In May, which We have
ust been experiencing again, has been ex-
'lained to the satisfaction OF some people
y the theory OF the interpostion Of cloud
I meteortic matter between the earth and
he sun, the cloud being, Of course a perma-
ent member of the solar system now, al
hough 1t might have been picked up orig
nally by the sun In the course Of its travels.
But leaving out OF account mere POSSIBLE
Ties, the established facts Of our peregrina-
ion in the universe appear sufficiently as
Who would not wish to view with
n all-seeing eye this caravan Of worlds on
8 way? Always gathering new material
rom the realms OF space, adding comets
nd meteor swarms to its dominion, the sun
weeps on, and tho obedient planets follow in
tide circling orbits; but whittier we are 60
IL and how it will all end even the astron-
mers cannot tell.
The Long and Short Course.
Now that the running racing of America