The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-27
STILL MORE SPACE
MATTERS BEYOND THE POWERS OF
THE HUMAN MIND.

THE HUMAN MIND.
Still There Has Been Much Light Throw,
Upon the Subject Since the Astronomer.
of the Sevenseerth Century Declared That
There Were Only One Thousand Stars.
There can be no subject more calculated
10 impress a mar S mind with his own in
significance, compared with the over
whelming power and glory of his Creator,
than the study and contemplation of the
armament in all its boundless infinity Il
Is not TO be wondered az that from the
earliest ages the subject has never failed
to exercise a fascination over men, and
that those who, by their genius and learn
ing, have most nearly succeeded in solv-
ing its mysteries have always been rever-
enced and esteemed to be among the wis
est men of their day. More has been done
within the last so years than in all ths
rest of the worlds history toward the
piercing of the veil which shuts off from
our eyes the beauties and mysteries of far
off realms, and doubtless, by means of the
spectroscope and increased size in the
lenses of our telescopes, we shall be ena-
bled before long 70 unrayel still more Sc
crets of the universe, and further add 10
our stock of information regarding the
construction and conditions OF other
worlds besides our own.
The question as 70 whether space is finite
or infinite can never DO satisfactorily ar
gued out or indeed even thought of, for
the human mind is incapable of grasping
the existence of limit to space, even in
its most abstract form, but the question
OF the ininity of worlds and their distri-
button in the infinity of space lies moro
closely within the scope of human intel
lect, for we have many material facts and
calculations to 90 upon in discovering the
probable answer TO this most fascinating
question.
Only as far back as the seventeenth CEN
fury astronomers placed the number OF
stars in the universe as 8 little over / Zoo,
but this was absurd, as the real number
visible 10 the naked eye is abou. 1000,
and perhaps treble that number can be
seen by persons with exceptionally good
eyesight. When the heavens, however, arc
examined through telescope, the number
OF visible stars are enormously increased.
In fact, it has been calculated that the
great Lick telescope, the most powerful yet
made, reveals as many as 100, 600, OO0l
Yet what is that vast number compared
with infinity? It cannot even be likeued
TO q grain of sand on the seashore, and
yet if we think the matter out carefully
we shall see that the number Of visible
stars cannot really be infinite, for If they
were the heavens would be a complete
blaze of light This, of course, we know,
IS fer from being the case and indeed
there cannot be any doubt that, in certain
parts of the heavens at least, the number
of visible stars is already known, for even
with the very strongest telescopes there
are blank spaces which are absolutely de-
void of stars below certain magnitude
Or even the veriest trace of nebulous light.
These spaces are known TO astronomers
by the name of coal sacks" They con-
tain no stars fainteS than the twelfth mag
nitude, and. In fact. appear TO mark those
parts of the universe which are COMPARE
lively thin. On the other hand, in other
parts of the heavens we have not by any
means reached the limit of telescope re-
solvability. 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
remarkable blank spots have been favor
lite tn me of discussion and argument
among all astronomers, for, whatever the
real shape or distribution of that universe
may be, they point to the almost certain
inference that in a particular direction at
least there is an actual limit to the num-
Der of stars, and if there is limit in one
direction we have every right to suppose
thai such is the case in others, and that
we have only 10 wait for telescopes strong
enough to resolve those parts which arc
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 mechanical vision, we can find no
more.
If, now, we admit that the number Of
visible stars is limited, the next question
TO be asked is, What is the order or shape
of their distribution? Various astrono-
mers have haG various theories about this
matter. Herschel was inclined TO think |
that the visible universe was in the shape !
OF disk, though his views in this direc- /
ton were considerably modified during the |
later part of his life. Strive considered |
that the universe was in the shape OF a !
disk of limited thickness, but infinite /
length-a theory which is hard to support, I
as, unless the ultimate extlnctlOn OF llgHt /
in space is believed in, that part of the 4
heavens which lay toward the plane of the (
disk would necessarily shine with the I
brightness of the sun. The late Mr.. Proc /
tor, though finding it impossible 70 define I
any particular shape for the visible uni I
verse as whole, was of the opinion that /
the brightest part of it-namely, the Milky 4
Way-was in the form OF a spiral. This .
latter theory, however, has many objec- 4
tons to contend with. OthcrastronCmers 4
have had different theories on this ques- 4
ton. but ALL or nearly all, appear to ad 7
NIT an ultimate limit TO the size Of tho 4
visible universe, or, in other words, be
iieve that the galaxy OF worlds which sur
round Us form. in fact, but an islet in the .
vast indnity Of space.
IL would appear at first sight that any .
attempt 70 solve the question IF the exist
ence of external galaxies and their dis
tance was absolutely futile, yet such is not
the case The result Of calculation is that
the nearest external universe Is 50 far dis
tant that light from il travelling az the
speed Of 1s6. 900 miles n second would take
nearly 10000. COO years To reach u.s.
Chambers Journal
Horns