The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-19
OTHER WORLDS THAN OURS.
Prof Otis Ashmore's Lecture at Trinity


astronomical subjects. The audience was
not disappointed at thecharacter Of the
lecture 1t had expected TO hear.
Pros Ashmnre is thoroughly versed in
astrono mi cal subjects and though new in
the lecture field. he found no difficulty in
presenting bis subject to his bearers in
comprehensive form. The only difficulty
was the that amount Of ground to be covered
left small time to be- devoted to par
ticular features
Prof. Ashmore was introduced by Rev.
DR.. FARRELL, pastof of Trinity Church,
who said that the hills Of North Georgia
were filed with great man. many OF whom
had found welcome in Savannah.
prof. Ashmore is from North Georgia, I"
he said. II am from there myself, in
fact"
In his introductory talk Prof Ashmore
told Of his visit to the New York Chautau-
qua some time ago, where he saw the Won
derful miniature OF the world arranged
by the eccentric DR.. Vincent. Men go
plodding through the world without per-
ceiving half its beauties on account of lgno-
rance OF their existence, SAID Prof. Ashmore.
He said 10 was impossible to tell oil that
was known about astronomy In three lect-
ures He began by giving a brief sketch
of the history OF astronomy. Astronomy,
he said, is one Of the oldest Of the sciences
In fact, as old as man himself. The Chinese
have the oldest astronomical records, ante
dating all other races in their history OF
astronomy. They have the first authentic
record ofa solar eclipse, 2, 1913 years before
Christ, fact Of great Importance to the
astronomers of the present age.
Their religious festivals we're observed, as
is the custom wi b Easter by Christians in the
present day, by astronomical observations
Astronomical observations were made
chiefly for this purpose. Two Of their as
tronomeYs, Hi and Ho, were beheaded 900
years before Christ for failing to predict a
solar eclipse
The next astronomers in point of history,
Prof. Ashmore said, were the Chaldeaus,
who were famous for the practice Of the
science in ancient times. Alexander the
Great found when he took Nineveh, 33l
years before Christ, records of eclipses for
1000 years back. Though not entirely ac-
curate, there were many things 10 these
records valuable to astronomers Of the
present day.
Next In point of astronomical history
come the Greeks. Thales, Greek philoso-
pher, was the first who taught that the
earth was round, 600 years before Christ--a
fact of great interest at the present day.
He also taught that the moon received its
light from the sun. He found out the equi-
noxes and the periods and causes Of their
ever recorded among the Greeks 5S4 years
before Christ.
Another Greek astronomer invented the
sun dial. Pythagoras, the great mathe-
matician and astronomer, was the first who
taught that the sun was the center of the
system, a thought lost for 1000 years. He
also taught that the earth revolved upon its
axis, and that there was but one God for
which he was banished from his country.
Pythagoras might be said to have originated
the idea Of the music of the spheres. He
believed that the different planets we're
situated at a distance from the sun similar
to the notes upon a musical scale, and that
as they revolved around the sun each pro-
duced its separate musical sound.
Hipparchus, still another Greek philoso-
pher, first calculated the length Of the year
to be sos days. his calculations being within
six minutes Of its exact duration. He made
a list Of over 1000 stars, with their posi-
tions il the heavens.
Egypt was a great field for the
astronomers, and Alexandria possessed a
great school of scientists. Ptolemy wrote
his Hemagesta 300 years before Christ,
which was the text book Of astronomy for
theory that the earth was the
center of the system, and that
everything else in the universe revolved
around it. Diagrams were thrown upon
the board illustrating the Ptolemaic idea,
which prevailed for so many centuries. The
Arabs also contributed to astronomy and
science and have given their names to some
of the most prominent consultations.
The first observatory In Europe was
erected at Seville, In Spain in 1l76
Prof. Ashmore gave some attention to the
so-called science of astrology, which pre-
vailed for so long a time in the world
Astrology had contributed greatly to
the truth, he said, by the
records made in the observations
for astrological purposes, aud which are of
much value TO science now.
The system OF Copernicus followed the
Ptolemaic system. The Copernican theory
was that the sun was the center Of the sys-
TEN, and that all the planets revolved
around 10 in a circle.
This was displaced by Tycho Brahe Of
Denmark and his pupil, Kepler, who de-
monstrated that the planets did not move in
circles, but in ellipses. Kepler's great laws
of astronomy are known to scientists to-
day.
Galileo invented the telescope, by means
of which he discovered the moons of
Jupiter and the wings of Saturn.
He taught the Copernican theory
that the sun was the center Of the system,
for which he was banished from his country.
Newton Ia 1876 discovered the law of gray
iCatlon, Wnlcn Is tnat every particle OF mat
ter in the universe is attracted to every
other particle. Newton made many other
great discoveries
Prof Ashmoro then proceeded to de-
scription OF the various celestial bodies with
numerous diagram illustrations cast upon
a large surface by q magic lantern. The
apparatus is the property Of
DR.. S. A. White. who cond ucted
this part of the exhibition.
The sun was first taken up. Its diameter,
Prof. Ashmore said, is $4,000 miles and its
volume is ,305. 900 times greater than that
of the earth, but its density being less, it's
weight is only 100000 times that OF the
earth.
If the center of the sun could be placed at
the center of the earth, he said, 1t would
overlap the orbit Of the moon by 200, 900
miles.
The earth Is 8, 1000, 900 miles nearer the sun
in January than it is in July, notwithstand-
ing the difference in the earth's temperature.
The sun is about 100000 miles
from the earth and IL Columbus
had started out for the sun in an express
train in 1896, had it been possible, instead of
to America, Prof. Ashmore said, he would
just about have reached there now.
The interior Of the sun Is thought TO be
composed OF a dark, gaseous mass. Over
this Is a bright, cloudy atmosphere called
the photosphere, outside Of this is the chro-
mosphere. and outside Of this is the corona.
Prof. Ashmore gave an interesting accoun
OF the SUMS spots with illustrations. Sun