The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-11-27
THE CELESTIAL WORLDS.

A Scientific study Of the Relatively Enos-
NOUS Beings They Might Contain.
A great deal has been said and much
speculation been fndulged In with refer
ence TO the question whether the celestial
worlds are inhabited by intellectual be-
ings similar to the earth inhabiting man.
1t scarcely admits of any doubt that this
interesting question win ever remain
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 ms investigate what proper
tions they would bear to Us provided the
length of their bodies werp IN the same
ratio to the diameter of their respective
rlobe as ours to the diameter Of the earth.
For this reason We have chosen the largest
orb of our solar system, the central body
of that system itself and the most brilliant
fixed star in the sky.
The average inhabitant Of the planet
Jupiter would stand about 90 feet In his
shoes. Were such . Jovian 70 visit our
sarth he would be able, without the dan
Eer of dislocating hts neck, to look into
the topmost stories Of our metropolitan
buildings. AJovian infants cradle would
be considered by us very comfortable bed
to rest IN. The huge soldiers Of Arrows
tus, whose mere sight struck terror into
C1sar's legions, would dwindls into very
pygmies were they to be compared with
the Joyian soldier. Nay, the latter would
coolly pick up King Arfovistus himself,
with three or four of his bodyguard, and
put them into his knapsack TO keep them
as animated toys to play with during the
hours of rest.
The solar inhabitant Of average size
would measure height Of over 600 feet,
30 that were he to visit the earth the most
capacious building sver erected by man
would be too small 10 offer hirn hospitality.
Three or four dozen fattened oxen would
form bat . neagr breakfast for That ca
pacious cavern-his stomach. On the
palm of his hand whole company OF ter
restrial soldiers would have sufficient room
to go through their military drfll and evo-
lutions. What deafening sounds would
emerge from those enormous bellows-a
solar mans lungs-evenif ne were to keep
the pitch of his voice within ths limits OF
ordinary speech
The distances Of the fxsd stars from rs
are so enormous that, as yes, no absolute
ly reliable means have becn found OF as
certaining the real magnftudss of those CO.
lOSSul 0IOb. DtilAs ~ - ~ W PAS"NAsc>>
that some of them, ~ dint Of frequent OBJ
servations and by applying to them that
powerful lever In the hands Of the astron-
omer, spectrum analysis, msy be with GER
tainty considered n being NJ least . GER
tain number Of times - great as our sun.
To most of as the sun h the very quintes-
sence Of what IN large, but compared with
most fixed stars IL becomes small, for were
| it removed to the distance Of the nearest
fixed star II would shine with the bril-
liancy of only star Of the second magni-
tude.
Sirius, the king among the fxed stars
| of our armament, Ii at least 30 large that
n it were inhabited by beings similar tc
men one of average siEe would attain tc
the dazzling height Of TX miles-thst oi
respectable mountain peak. Here We
leave IL to the imagination Of the reades
to picture to himself q world peopled with
such gigsntic beings, compared with
whom we poor, terrestrial mortals sink into
utter insignihcance. StiIl there IL one
consoling thought--vix, that in a small
body there may dwell q large soul and
vigorous mind, the one immortal and tn,
other capable OF graphing with the nb
strusest questions Of philosophy and sci
ence.--Baltimore Sun.