The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-02-09

truth. Prior to the time of Coperni-
Gus the Ptolemaic or geocentric sys-
TEN, as laid down in the Almagast Of
Ptolemy, held supreme scientific sway.
According to this, the earth was con-
sidered immovable, the sun revolving
around it. Another character is here
worthy of note, namely Johann Muller,
more familiarly known as Regiomon-
tanus, in his time the greatest astron-
omer of Europe, the perfector Of the
present system of trigonometry, and
for some time the teacher of Coperni-
Gus.
Copernicus was born Feb. 10, 1473,
at Thorn, in Prussia. After receiving
rudimentary and part classical educa-
ton at home, he studied at the Univer-
sity OF CracoW, receiving from that in
stitution his diploma as doctor of med
! icine. His love for science took him
to Italy, where he studied under Do
menica Maria, and his advent at Rome
found his reputation rivaling that of
his former tutor, Regiomontanus.
The exposition of his grand hypothe-
sis, which he established after many
weary years of labor, is contained in
his six books, S'De Coelestium Orbium
Revolutionibus," according to which
the sun and stars are fixed, the earth
is planet whose orbit is between We
nus and Mars; the moon has revolu-
tion around the earth. He further
more computed that these planets
have revolution around the sun.
This is the system of Copernicus epit-
onlized, which prevails today. We
cannot but admire the acute and auda-
cious intellect of this man whose task
can well be called herculean one
We are convinced Of this when we
consider the great difficulties under
which he labored, the contrary opin-
ions of the disciples of the schools of
Aristotle and Ptolemy, and the fact
that the telescope was unknown. He
died in the year 1913 and the memory
of his great work is recalled by a sim
pie epitaph on his tomb, "Sta Sol, ne
moveare." 1t cannot be denied that
Copernicus was a great scientist, an
epoch-making genius, a milestone in
the progress of the world. He loved
his science, but is not known to have
neglected the duties incumbent upon
him as ecclesiastic; on the contrary,
his biographers point him ont as a
man of tender piety, much de, oted to
his religion.
lie Verrier is another Catholic who
has gained an enduring place in the
annals of science. 1t is to the calcula-
tion Of this scientist that astronomy
owes the discovery of the planet Nep-
tune, at that time considered an al
most hopeless task by eminent astro-
nomical talent. 1t was he who, by
this discovery, reconciled the discrep-
ancy which arose when it was shown
that the observed path of the orbit
Uranus, subject to the perturbations
Of Jupiter and Saturn, did not agree
with the theoretic one. This young
and profound mathematician succeed
ed in solving this problem, which,
from it's enormous difficulty, astound-
ed the whole Of Europe, and caused
him to be much feted. Another diff
cult task which he performed was the
, calculation of the weight of the planet
Mercury, which, owing to it's close
, proximity to the sun, was not easy to
, accomplish. LIE Verrier contributed
much to science, but, Notwithstanding,
was a pious Catholic, devoted alike to
crucifix and telescope.
Still to another must be conceded
the aureole of distinction, whose bril-
, liant work in his speciality reflected the
, lustre of the subject which he made
, the object Of research, the sun. This
parsonage is Jesuit Father Pietro An
gelo Secchi, a product Of nineteenth
century Catholicity. Astronomy has a
. priceless treasure in his treatise on the
sun. ACCORDING to the principles laid
down in his treatise the sun consists
of three parts: nucleus, photosphere
, and chromosphere, the two latter be.
: ing envelopes. The nucleus is gaseous
matter, containing many metals
known to us, also some unknown, in
/, high state Of incandescence; the
E photosphere consists of metals found
: in the body of the sun, raised to- q
l high gaseous state, and the chrome.
8 sphere is chiefly known as helium
t He throws some light on sunspots
8 which he claims are due to the expul
: sions of gases, notably of sodium and
f magnesium, from the sun during erup