Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-01-13


companl "a from AIg, Is only about
one thirt.eth of the earth's distance from
tie sun. while the intensity Of light and
lieat varies ,nve4ssiy a. { . "a 81
the distance.
Another star that has close co,npan-
ion winch although itself invisible. re-
Yea it- presence l,y the effects Of it's
attraction snp,n is brilliant neiglbor, is
Spica, the leader af the c,ll~tellStia N
Nsrgsl and enc oG the mo beautiful
star Ia the heavens Here there S no
SUCH &C losing Of tie light of Sp CT by
the eare attendant as occurs with Al
col, aud the data thus far obtained are
far lbs, complete han those OF the last
named star Il would seem, how ever.
that in this instance slso the planet,
if planet il he. IS of enormous dmen-
sion and TevoITes very close to It's
primary, the distance being estimated
at from 3.OO0,o00 to COCO, 600 miles.
Regel the splendid twinkier in the left
foot of Orion. has also given indica-
tions that it has a close and invisible
saitl tic of as vei unknowr dimensions.
II mas long been ka,,wn that Procron
another first magnitude star. has an in-
visible companion. and. with the new
methods OF researcl, something may he
learned of its size and distance. We do
not here refer to the recent discoveries
concerning Mia la Ursa Major, and
Beta Aurig@, because the companions
of those stars. situated at distances of
l40. 10000 miles and 8 600. 600 miles, re-
e.aaftvalxy ara lun,snn.,s katlf.o orA r0,,
seQuently eau not resemble planets in
their physical conditions, although the
doctrine of celestial evolution teaches
that eventually they may pass from the
solar into the planetary state by the ex-
haustion Of their radiationa
Ii viii be noticed that in every case
the dark budies discovered among the
stars, which by a stretch of the imagi-
nation may be Iikened to planets, are of
great magnitude as compared with the
planets of our sol system. This may
not he as serious an objection to their
habitability as their nearness to their
primaries is; and yet, according to our
terrestrial experience, globe 80, 600
times as heavy as the earth and 100
times as great in diameter would make
a strange abode On such globe an
average son of Adam would weigh not
less than 700 or 800 pounds, unless his
dimensions were proportional to the in
tensity of the gravity, in which case lie
would be only between foot and Is
inches tall.
1t is more agreeable, however, to sup
pose that some unthought of popularity
I'm organization, such as the slight dens-
ity of the planet readily suggests, would
enable the man to be at the same time
imposing in stature and graceful and
agile in movement. for the Imagination
finds something repugnant in the idea
of race of lively pigmies constituting
the population of planet of the most
majestic proportions.
At no time in its history has the out
look for astronomical discovery been
more promising than it is at present, SO
that one can hardly be too sanguine i'm
expecting that these recent advances
which have partially lifted the veil
from the inner mysteries of the starry
systems, are but preludes to still more
interesting discoveries which may re-
veal the existence of unmistakable
planets rejoicing in the light and smil.
ing with life as our earth rejoices aud
zmilee