Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-23
EARTH, SUN AND STARS.
Wonderful and Interesting Facts From the
Late Prof. Proctor's Latest Work.
,Eserp the London Standard

;Erep the London Standard.
Modern astronomers have not neglected the
earth. They have not only measured our
| globe-they have weighed it. and the tonnage
takes twenty-one figures for its expression.
That is to say the sum total goes into the
middle Of the trillions. Then follow the meas
uring and weighing Of the solar system
Light, proceeding with ten thousand times the
velocity of the earth in its orbit, gives us some
idea Of distance, when we learn that its fight
from the sun to our globe occupies rather
more than eight minutes. Sound, travelling
in air, would require above fourteen years
to accomplish such a journey. Consid-
cred as luminary the sun has an in
trinsic luster between three and four times
greater than that of the electric light when
the latter is at its brightest. The molten
metal in Bessemer converter is 5000 times
fainter than the light Of the sun. As for the
solar heat, Its production appears to be yet
somewhat Of mystery. II the sun were all
coal, and that of the best quality the entire
mass-h emitting the heat now sent forth
would be burned up in less than 5000 years.
Nevertheless We are told that the sun may be
depended upon for few millions of years in
the future, though not for tens of millions.
we may accept the lesser period as sufficient
for ordinary purposes. although the sun is
fore he quite goes out.
In relation TO our great lumiDary, as well as
TO celestial objects generally, the spectroscope
and the Photographic camera have proved in
valuable adjuncts to the telescope. They have
rendered special assistance in calculating the
real nature Of the rose tinted border of light,
and the red prominence bursting forth from 1t.
seen to encircle the sun at the time of a total
eclipse. The very existence OF thefe promi-
nences was the subject of doubt down to 1912.
anu, In some degree even as recently as 1868.
when spectroscopic analysis first applied to
their examination. But now we have absolute
proof that the great globe of the sun is sur
rounded by deep layer of colored matter.
whence enormous protuberances start out, COM
posed of glowing gas. principally hydrogen, the
radiant columns attaining, in some instances.
to such height that ten of our worlds might
be piled, one upon another. within the
mass, and vet fall short of the sum
NIT. In 1850 photography was first employed
to secure views of the corona. the aureole of
light which is seen to surround the sun during
n total eclipse. The inner corona is considered
due to the presence of tenuous and diffuse
gases, varying from time to time in their iuml-
mostly and rising to a height of about 100000
miles. But there is an outer corona of much
greater extent, apparently connected with
meteorlc and cometic matter. Further away
still we have the zodiacal light, seen in this
latitude as slanting column In the western
horizon after sunset in the spring of the year.
Passing from the sun immediate surround
ings. We are introduced to the region where it
has been thought possible for planet to circu-
late which has not been detected The idea
has been founded on certain unexplained irreg-
niaritles in the movements of the planet Mer-
curry. But the existence of the hypothetical
Vulcan is now discredited, and the peculiar mo-
ton exhibited by the orbit of Mercuryi is attrib-
uted TO the presence. between that planet and
the sun, OF multitudinous small bodies. individ-
of eNf
eral tons. or even hundreds of tons in mass:
yet. considered with reference to the enormous
region they occupy, they but planetary
dust. Speculation has also been rife as to
whether Venus has satellite, and although
proof is wanting, observations are on record
which make denial difficult.
Our own planet may be studied in detail The
history OF the earth is measured by millions of
years, and MI. Proctor has ventured to predict
millions of years to come. unless some catas-
trophe intervenes, of which there is mo sign
OF likelihood" Looking back we may at least
be thankful that certain past ages of the earth
are gone forever. including the when fiery
atmosphere, laden with destructive vapors
burst forth in tremendous storms. while malef-
cent clouds discharged torrents of hot water
mixed with sulphuric acid and other corrosive
compounds. 1t is well that the gigantic insects
of a Lister period no longer exist and that the
glacial ylsltatlons are for the present sus-
pended. But, in the absence Of any catas-
trophe, the earth's decay is an assured fact
The water supply, including the volume of the
seas. is destined to diminish. though any seri-
Gus deficiency will not accrue until the time of
earth's extreme old age The action of the
tidal wave is apparently reducing the rate of
the earths rotation. making longer day. The
action must be very minute yet If it is real the
effect will be palpable enough after the lapse of
millions of years. In addition to this there is
warning given that artificial processes are ex-
hausting the earth's stores and if man con-
tinues to use up the materials at his command
at the same rapidly Increasing rate as in re-
cent times it is possible that in a few thousand
years, instead of millions, the earth will be no
longer habitable by civilized varieties of the
human family.
The orbit Of Neptune thirty times further
from the sun than that of the earth, forms the
outer boundary of the solar system This dis
lance is immense, yet shrinks into insgnifi-
canoe compared with that which lies beyond
So vast is the gulf which intervenes between
our earth and the stellar universe that al
though many of the stars are. in all probability,
larger and brighter than our sun, and some
very considerably so, yet the most powerful
telescope is not able to give them any appre-
cable diameter, mere point of light being all
that Is visible, even when the great Lick tele-
scope Is directed to the brightest among them.
This OF itself does not prevent the determine
tion OF distance, but in only few cases has
there been an approach to actual estimate.
The least extent runs into billions of miles
Some notion of the reality may be derived
from the fact that if our sun were removed to
about 200. 600 times its present distance from
the earth, it would appear to lis simply as a
star Of the first magnitude. The distance in
such case would exceed 10000 900, 600 of
miles. 1t follows that if the nearest fixed star
is further off than this, as appears to be the
fact, every star of the first magnitude must be
larger or brighter than our SUM-
According to one reckoning our sun seen from
the distance of Sirius would appear as q star of
the fourth magnitude. Sir Robert Ball, ascrib-
ing to Sirius distance of one hundred billions
of miles. states that the sun would be altogether
invisible from such range, its apparent size
if it could be called apparent-being reduced to
away. strange hypothesis presents itself in
the argument for the existence of dark stars
Mr.. lanyard calculates that dark body, equal
to the sun in size, and only six hundred times
more remote, would probably be overlooked by
our astronomers. Thus we may have an invis-
IDLE universe, in addition to that which meets
the eye. The star Algol is known to have a dark
companion, and there may be other dark orbs
in space. The extent to which movement has
been detected among the so-called fixed stars is
notable achievement in astronomy. In one
instance star is estimated to proceed at the
rate of sixty-seyen miles per second or even one
hundred miles. Our own sun is a star travel
ing through space, with all the attendant
planets. at the rate Of eighteen miles per second
There is, accordingly, a chance that in four