The Helena independent., 1893-11-18
THE CELESTIAL WORLDS.
A Scientific Study OF tho Relatively Enor>
nous Beings They Might Contain.

Scientific Study OF tho Relatively Enor
nous Beings They Might Contain.
A great deal has been said and much
speculation been indulged in with refer
ence to the question whether the celestial
worlds are inhabited by intellectual be-
ings similar to the earth iuhabiting man.
1t scarcely admits Of any doubt that this
| interesting question will ever remain a
mere matter of speculation, but let us
suppose that. beings resembling man in
stature were dwelling on those glorious
orbs we see In the vast vault of the heav-
ems, and let us investigate what proper
tions they would bear to us provided the
length OF their bodies were in the Same
ratio to the diameter of their respective
globe rs ours to the diameter of tho earth
For this reason We have chosen the largest
orb Of our solar system, the central body
fixed star in the sky.
The average inhabitant Of the planet
Jupiter would stand about 60 feet in his
shoes. We're such Jovian to visit our
earth he would be able, without the dan
ger of dislocating his neck, to look into
the topmost stories Of our metropolitan
buildings. A Jovian infants cradle would
be considered by US a very comfortable bed
tus, whose mere sight struck terror into
Cesar's legions, would dwindle into very
pygmies were they to be compared with
the .Jovian soldier. Nay, the latter would
coolly pick up King Ariovistus himself,
with three or four Of his bodyguard, and
put them into his knapsack to keep them
rs animated toys to play with during the
hours of rest.
The solar inhabitant of average size
would measure u height Of over 600 feet,
so that were he to visit the earth the most
capacious building ever erected by man
would be too small to offer him hospitality.
Three or four dozen fattened oxen would
form but meager breakfast for that Ca
pacious cavarn-his stomach. On the
palm of his hand a whole company of ter
restrial soldiers would have sufficient room
to go through their military drill and evo-
lutions. What deafening sounds would
emerge from those enormous bellows-a
solar mans lungs-even If he were to keep
the pitch of his voice within the limits Of
ordinary speeohl
The distances of the fixed stars from us
are SO enormous that, as yet, no absolute
ly reliable means have been found of as
certaining the real magnitudes Of those Co
lossal orbs. Still, it is to be presumed
that some of them, by dint of frequent OBJ
servations and by applying to them that
powerful lever in the hands of the astron-
omer, spectrum analysis, may be with Ger
tainty considered as being at least a GER
tain number Of times as great as our sun.
To most of US the sun Is the very quintes-
sence of what is large, but compared with
most fixed stars it becomes small, for were
it removed to the distance of the nearest
fixed star 1t would shine with the bril-
liancy of only a star of the second magni-
tuae.
Sirius, the king among the fixed stars
of our armament, is at least SO large that
If it were inhabited by beings similar to
men one of average size would attain to
the dazzling height of ~ miles-that of
respectable mountain peak. Here we
leave it to the imagination of the reader
to picture to himself world peopled with
such gigantic beings, compared with
whom we poor terrestrial morsals sink into
utter insignificance. Still there is one
consoling thought-viz, that in small
body there may dwell large soul and
vigorous mind, the one imxortal and the
other capable OF grsppAns with the abb
strusest questions of philosophy and sci
Sun.