The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-05-29
MANS PLACE IN
The UNIVERSE
DIR BISHOP GIVES AN INTEREST
ING REVIEW or AN IMPORTANT
CURRENT CONTROVERSY.

EDITOR STAR: Probably some Of
your readers viii be interested in
discussion now i'm progress upon Mars
Place in the Universe" meaning the
visible universe of stars.
This discussion revolves about a very
peculiar theory lately propounded by
the eminent but aged scientist Alfred
Russell Wallace. 1t is substantially
this: That the Milky Way, being the
boundary of the visible stars, encloses
the actual universe; that our sun is
central to the plane Of the milky
way and central to a cluster of stars
which are similarly located; that our
earth is probably the only planet in the
solar system which has been capable of
developing Human or Rational life;
that the outer orbs of the universe are
probably ill-located for such develop
ment of humanity; and hence that our
earth must be the sole abode Of human
ity, and that "the supreme end and
purpose of this vast universe was the
production and development of the
living soul in the perishable body of
man." on this earth
The Theologians have not seemed to
be interested in this discussion Sew
eral eminent astronomers hsve taken it
| up adversely to DR.. Wallace. Before
me is an article by Professor II. II.
! Turner of Oxford. He asks why any
one Of our alleged cluster Of suns"
should not possess planets as well
adapted as we are to develop high
| forms of organic life?" This seems con-
elusive.
Less 50, perhaps, is an argument of
Prof Turner, that our central position
| in the milky way is only temporary, be-
cause the Sun is moving among the
| stars with a velocity which would carry
it beyond the milky way in certainly
less than fifty millions years, which
is about the average period allowed for
organic life upon the earth. TO this
would answer that our sun is probably
crcling in an orbit of limited diameter
so that it cannot travel beyond the
comparatively small cluster of stars to
which it belongs. Thus whatever CEN
trality it has, is probably a permanent
position.
The most effective answer to DR..
| Wallace seems to be one which denies
his assumption that there is no stellar
universe beyond the Milky Wey, be-
Several of his opponents point out the
well-llnown fact that Space is occu-
| pied by numberless multitudes of me-
teorites and other Opaque bodies. At a
sufficient distance, such as that beyond
the Milky Way, these would constitute
a fog-veil which, would necessarily
| obstruct and cut off the light of all
stars lying beyond, and the outer space
would be apparently starless.
Prof. Turner alludes to the revelat ton
made by the new star Nova Persei,
whose outburst of light illuminated a
vast congeries of dark nebula- wisps
lying in it's region. Such dark nebulae
doubtless are common. Large and
dense ones may constitute the well
known Got l-sacks," which are spots
of intense blackness in the southern
heavens. Some have supposed them to
be openings among the stars into the
blank immensely of space beyond.
The most remarkable position 1 have
met is that of Sir Robert Ball who
holds that space is pervaded by dead"
on dark suns a million times more nu-
merous than the live or bright stars.
This is probably a deduction from the
duration of a live solar activity, and
the frequency of such collisions of
dead solar orbs as would be necessary
to restore them to activity and main
tain an undimnished number of stars.
The spectroscope has begotten good
deal Of actual knowledge about the
processes Of generating life in stars,
and of their growth and declension.
Our sun, for instance, is one Of the now
fading stars, in it's decline. These
things bring us into converse with the
endless and numberless aeons of eter-
nifty as well as with the boundless
reaches of immensely. The infinite
God prevades the whole.
5. +. BISHOP.
| Honolulu, May %, 1909.