The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-12-30

by persons with exceptionally GOOD
eyesight. When the heavens. however,
are examined through a telescope, the
number of visible stars are enormously
increased; in fact, it has been calcu-
lated that the great Lick telescope. the
most powerful yet made. reveals as
many as one hundred million Yet
what is that vast number compared
with infnity? 1t cannot even be
likened to a grain of sand On the sea-
ehore. And yet, if we think the matter
out carefully, we shall see that the
number of visible stars cancot really
be infinite, for if they were the heavens
would be complete blaze of light.
This, of course, we know is far from
being the case; and, indeed, there cam
not be any doubt that, in certain parts
Of the heavens at least. the number of
visible stars is already known, for even
with the strongest telescopes there are
blank spaces which are absolutely de-
void of stars below certain magni-
tude, or even the variest trace of nebu-
lous light.
These spaces are known to astron-
omers by the name of coal sacks;
they contain no stars fainter than the
twelfth magnitude. and, in fact. ap-
pear to mark those parts of the uni
verse which are comparatively thin
On the other hand, in other parts of
the heavens we have not by any means
reached the limit of telescope resolva-
bility. 1t is curious, though, that these
intensely dark 'holes" in the bright
empyrean are mostly to be found in
those parts of the heavens where most
stars abound, notably in the Milky
Way. These remarkably blank spots
have been favorite theme of discus
sion and argument among all astron-
omers, for whatever the real shape or
distribution of that universe may be,
they point to the almost certain infer
ence that in particular direction at
least there is an actual limit to the
number of stars, and if there is limit
in one direction we have every right to
suppose that such is the case in others,
and that we have only to wait for tele-
scopes strong enough to resolve those
parts which are still Unreasonable to
discover that point can be reached
when all the stars of the universe are
unfolded to our gaze, and that, no
matter how keen the power Of our me-
charical vision, we can find no more.
II, now, we admit that the number Of
visible stars is limited. the next ques-
ton to be asked is, what is the order
or shape of their distribution? Various
astronomers have had various theories
about this matter. Herschel was in
clined to think that the visible uni
verse was in the shape of disk, though
his views in this direction were consid-
era bly, modified during the latter part
of his life. Strive considered that the
universe was in the shape of limited
thickness, but infinite length-a theory
which is hard to support. as, unless the
ultimate extinction OF light in space is
believed in. that part of the heavens
would necessarily shine with the bright
ness of the sun. The late Mr.. Proctor,
though finding it impossible TO define
any particular shape for the universe,
as a whole, was of the opinion that the
brightest part of it-namely, the Milky
Way-was in the form of a spiral. This
latter theory also, however, has many
objections. to contend with. Other
astronomers have had different theo-
ries on this question; but all, or nearly
all, appear to admit an ultimate limit
to the size of the visible universe, or,
in other words, believe that the galaxy
of worlds which surround US form, in
fact, but an islet in the vast infnity Of
space.
1t would appear at first sight that
any attempt to solve the question of
the existence of external gaiaxies and
their distance was absolutely futile;
yet such is not the case. Some astron-
omers maintain that certain of the
nebule-such as the Magellan Cloud,
for instance, are really external gall
axies We have no mathematical evil
dence, however, to arrive at the dis
tance of these visible objects, and in
all proba bility they belong to our own
galaxy, and are no farther distant
than the fainter stars. Profs. Lambe
Herschel, Gore, Proctor, and others
have formed al ingenious hypothesis as
to the distance of external galaxies
By theoretical system of proportion
saSed an Q thorough fnunds ton of
known facts, they assume that the di-
Imeter of the solar system is to the dis
tance between solar systems as the di-
ameter of the sidereal universe is to
the distance between universes. The
result of this calculation is that the
nearest external universe is so far dis
tant that light from it, travelling at the |
speed of one hundred and eighty-six !
thousand miles second, would take
nearly ninety million years to reach !
rs.
The human mind is incapable of I
yrasping such an awful distance; but /
calculations show US /
that. even supposing that the external |
universe is the same size as ours, il /
would only appear as a tiny speck of
nebulous light. Il is doubtful, how
ever, whether even light could reach I
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