Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-16
THE SUMS DESTINATION
WHAT IS KNOWN AND WHAT IS
SPECULATION.
HerscheI's Conclusions Made More
Than n Century Ago Are
Being Verified.
SPECULATION

Prof. Harold Jacoby In Popular Science Monthly.
More than century ago Sir William
Herschel was able to fix roughly what we
call the apex OF the suns way In space
or the point among the stars towards which
that way is for the moment directed. we
say for the moment. but We mean that mo-
ment of which Bradley saw the beginning
in 1850 and upon whose end no man Oh
those now living shall ever look. Herscnei
found that comparison OF old stellar Cd
servations seemed to indicate that the stars
in a certain part of the sky were opening
out. as it were and that the consultations
in the opposite part of the heavens seemed
to be drawing in, or becoming smaller.
There can be but one reasonable expiana-
ton of this. We must be moving towards
that part of the sky where the stars are
separating. Just so man watching regl-
ment of soldiers approaching, VIII see at
first only confused body of men. But as
they come nearer the Individual soldiers
will seem to separate. until at length eacn
one is seen distinct from all the others.
Herschel fixed the position OF the apex at
a point in the constellation Hercules. The
most recent Investigations of Newcomo.
published only few months ago. nave, on
the whole, verified Herschefs conclusions
With the intuitive power of rare genius.
Herschel had been able to sift truth out
OF error. The obServa tional data at his dis
disclosed to the scrutiny of his acute I'M
Outstanding the germ of truth that was IN
them. Later investigators have increased
the precision of knowledge, until we
can now say that the present direction OF
the solar motion is known within very mar
row limits. A tiny circle might be drawn
on the sky, to which an astronomer might
point his hand and say: "Yonder little cir
Gle contains the goal toward which the sun
and planets are Fastening today. Even the
speed of this motion has been subjected 10
measurement and found to be about ten
miles per second
The objective point and the rate of mo-
ton thus stated. exact science holds her
peace. Here genuine knowledge stops, ana
we can proceed further only by the aid of
that imagination which men of science need
to curb at every moment. But let no one
think that the sun will ever reach the so
called apex. To do would mean coSmic
motion upon a straight line, while every
to motion upon a curve When shall we
turn sufficiently upon that curve to detect
its bending? It's a problem we must leave
rich heritage to later generations that
are to follow The visionary theoriSt
notion Of a great central sun, controlling
our own suns way in space, must be dis
missed far too daring. But for such a
central sun We may substitute central
center Of gravity belonging to a great Sys-
tenn Of which our sun Is but an insigniti-
cant member. Then we reach a conception
that has lost nothing in the grandeur of
its simplicity, and is yet in accord with
the probabilities of sober mechanical SCI
ence. We cease to be lonely world and
stretch out the bonds of d common reia-
tionship to yonder stars within the f1rma-
meCt.