Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-10-05
FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
PART THREE


the nebular hypothesis is the present
generally accepted theory of sun and
planet formation. 1t has however,
until very recently, remained an un-
proven one. During the autumn just
past Prof. Ritchey of the Yerkes OBJ
servatory, has by series of celestial
photographs, discovered that the star
Nova, in the constellation Perseus, is
surrounded by a nebula in which are
fairly dense spots, and that these
spots are actually moving, with refer
ence to other parts of the nebula; a
| phenomenon never before observed
by astronomers. This discovery is
taken by astronomers as proof posi-
tive that nebulae are the matrices of
solar systems and star clusters, which
are formed by process of slow evol-
ution extending through millions of
years out in the inconceivable abysses
of space. Let us sincerely hope that
this nebular hypothesis is become a
certainty, because IL so it is in most
pleasing harmony with the earth's
annular system
1t does not follow, however, because
any theory or principle has been
advanced and become generally ac-
cepted, that one is in any way bound
to wed ones self to it, with 'sThus
far and no farther" until it has been
proven absolutely and beyond the
possibility of being superseded, or
added to, by something which may
prove just as acceptable.
While this annular theory of world
making may be new to the large ma
jority to-day, 1 shall endeavor to
show before close that it is the most
ancient theory in relation to this sub
ject ever placed on record. Like
many another gre at truth it has been
long forgotten, only to be revived in
comparatively recent years; and it is
now championed by some of the
worlds most profound scholars, and
if l am correctly informed, is ac-
cepted and taught in some of the first
institutions of learning. Indeed it is
bidding fair to become generally ac-
cepted." Being thus apparently COM
paratively recent, the conscientious
investigator is called upon to lay aside
all prejudice to things new, as we'll as
to unlearn many things taught in the
old school.
We will grant chat the nebular by
pothesis is correct. Let it be granted
that the substances which now COM
pose our sun and it's surrounding
planets were once in the form of gases
and dust, floating in space, whose
confines were probably beyond the
orbit of what is now our most distant
planet, and that at length, after cons
upon cons of time these gases, obedi-
emit to the laws of gravitation were at
tracted toward a central point-nu-
cleus-and our sun was formed, and
that the planets, including earth,
were eventually thrown off either
from the body of the sun or from it's
equatorial rings, and that the moons
were, in their turn, subsequently sim
ilarly evolved from their primaries.
The present strong site that binds,
our solar system in such indissoluble
union may be taken as evidence that
it's members have been sometime in
the misty past, more Intimately asso-
ciated with the great central orb, the
sun, and that they have at different
times been hurled from that rotating
fiery orb. This view certainly fays
nicely with that brief declaration of
the sacred historian, for the earth
must then have been "without form,n
a gigantic nondescript.
"a rotary motion sprang up.n
Certainly; we can hardly conceive
how it could have been otherwise. If
the earth Or the gases which subse-
quently formed it was thrown from
the rotating sun, its path of departure
must have taken approximately the
form of a spiral whose whorls would
recede farther aud farther away, un-
til balanced by the combined influence
of centrifugal and centripetal forces,
the recession ceased, and the spiral
was compelled to take the form of the
earth's orbit; and these same oppos-
ing forces, with their tremendous and
uninterrupted push and pull caused a
rotary motion to spring up. These
forces are still working, and so the
moons and planets revolve around |
tn ir centers and tie on their axes,
"and no one knows what will ever |
stop them" Verify, "the earth do |
move" yet. Let Us try to keep up
with it. Under what other possible
conditions could the earth have as
sumed spherical, more accurately a
sDherOidal shaDe2 Iat MS revorontlv