The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-27

the planets. Between the planets there is
neither light nor heat. 1t was many wears
before the old fogy school Of astronomers
would renounce the fire theory and adout
mine. But while they have at last admit
teo tnat the suns photosphere is cleo
tric, they still believe that all the space
OF the solar system is illuminated hy the
sun why, II this were so, the heavens
would be as bright TO US at night as by day
ms Is why we cannot see our second
moon, because it has the atmosphere To
create light by friction with the solar rays.
| In TINS same book | also demonstrated that
| the moon has an atmosphere, and now l
| oegln TO see that my labor of thirty wears
ago is about to bear fruit, for the Lick tele>
scope has just revealed snow on the summit
or the lunar mountains
That reminds me that this great tele-
scope has discovered something peculiar
about one of the moons of jupiter inter
jected the reporter
Yes, that it is double. l am very
doubtful OF this. If the hemispheres were a
lew thousand miles apart, one might main
tain It's position by revolving about the
other, but to remain stationary-the thing
is impossible
''Some of the stars are double, are they
notP
CANNOT FALL ON ONE ANOTHER.
Yes, but the parts revolve round each
other The Lick obSer vers probably have
the idea OF DIR. Oilers; an astronomer Of the
last century, in their minds without know
ing 1t. He thought that large planet must
nave once revolved in the great space be-
tween the orbits OF Mars and Jupiter. and
that 1t burst and formed the four asteroids,
Ceres, Pallas, Vesta and Juno. That idea,
however, was abandoned years ago, when
we came to discover hundreds of as 'eroids
or small planets in that region. Bicla's
comet really did burst in two parts a few
years ago. An astronomer was looking at
1t through telescope at that moment The
halves gradually receded from each other,
and now they are two distinct comets with
different periods Of revolution.
The division was caused by the parts be-
coming so highly electrified, and this it was
which caused them to recede afterward. If
such a calamity could happen a planet
could not one planet fall upon another, and
is it not believed even by astronomers that
the earth will fall into the sum- If our
moon were to stop suddenly in her orbit and
run toward the earth she would never
reach her. 1t would require some weeks to
fall TO our planet, and then we would have
travelled so far that the satellite would fall
into another orbit in trying to reach us.
Even were the earth and moon
stationary In space, / very much
doubt that they could come
together. for their mutual electric force
would repel them. OF course were such a
trial to take place our earth would be
stopped Of all animal life, for the moons
proximity would submerge all our CONT
nents. Then the idea of the earth falling
into the sun is humbug. and is only
originated to scare religious lunatics. Even
If such an event were now transpiring we
would not notice it; besides the sun would
repel us, as he does the comets, and we
would soon be travelling again in the old
orbit"
What is our moons distance from the
earth" asked the reporter.
"Our books say, in round numbers 240,-
600 miles, but it is probably nearer 300, 900
miles We cannot possibly even guess the
distance OF any of the heavenly bodies,
either from us or from the sum-"
You have not predicted any storms for
some time, Prof Wigginsg
mo; for all the dangerous storms this
autumn are in the eastern hemisphere,
which accounts for my silence. l could
have shaken up the British people this year,
but did not want any more of the old re-
ward