Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-11-25
PROBLEMS OF SPACE
sNleMAs THAT SCIENCE is STRIVING
TO SOLVE.

The Question of I'm Innnity Of
worlds nnd Their DistrIbution In
an Inhnity of Spnce-Distnncc OF the
Nearest External universe.
There can be no subject more cal
rulntcd to impress a mans mind with
his own insignitlcnncc compared with
the overwhelming power ana glory Of
his Creator than the study and con.
temptation of tile armament In all its
bo,hdlcss lnlnity.i II Is not to be
wondered ut thnts from the earliest
ages the subject has never failed to
exercise fascination over men and
THAT those who by their genius and
learning have most nearly succeeded
i'll solving it's mysteries have always
been rcvcrcncel ana esteemed to be
among the wiscst men of their day.
More has been done within the last
fifty years than III all the rest OF tho
worlds history toward the piercing OF
tile veil which shuts Off from our eyes
the beauties and mysteries OF farofr
realms. and doubtless by means of tho
spectroscopc and Increased size I'm tho
lenses of our telescopes we slnli DO
enabled before long TO unrarel stlll
moro secrets of the universe.
The question as to whether spacc Is
finite or infinite can never be satlsfnc.
t0rily argued out or indeed even
thought OF. for the human mind is in
capable of grasping the existence Of n
limit TO space, even In It's most ab-
stract form. hut the question OF the in
tlnity OF worlds and their distrlhu,tnn
In the infinity OF space lies more close
~ within tile scope of human intellect,
for we lave many material facts and
calculations to 30 upon In discovering
the probable answer to this most fns-
chatting question.
Only rs far back as the seventeenth
century astronomers placed the mum
her OF stars In the universe ms little
over 1000, but this was absurd, ,,si the
real number visible TO the naked eye Is
about 1000 and perhaps treble TINT
number can lie seen by persons with
exceptionally good cyeslght. When tho
heavens, however. nrc examined
through telescope the number OF visit
BILE stars Is enormously Increased. In
fact, It has been calculated that the
most powerful reveals MS many rs
1W,0GDCU0. iet what is that vast
number compared with infinltyl 1t
cannot even he likencd to II grain OF
SAM on the scashUrc, and yet IL wo
think the matter out carefully we shall
sec that the number of visible stars
cannot really he intlnltc, for if they
were the heavens would be II complete
blaze of light. This, of. course, VIC
know is far FROM being the case, ami
indeed there cannot he any doubt tlnt
In certain pnr;i,, - heavens Mt least
the number OF visible stars IL already
known. for cvca With the very stron,
Sest telescopes tllrrc are blank spaces
which are absolutely devoid OF stars
below certain magnitude or even the
vcricSt trace uS i,chnloua light. IN.
These spaces are Known 10 astrono-
mcrs by the name of "coal sac.is."
They contain no stars faintc? than the
twelfth magnitude and. In fact, appear
TO mark those parts OF the universe
which are comparatively thin On the
other hand, in other parts Of lie hcay-
ems we have not by any means reached
the limit Of telescopic resplvablity. 1t
Is curious, though. that these intenrely
dark holes" In the bright enipyrcau
are mostly to ba found In those parts
or the heavens where most stars
abound. notably in the Milky Way.
These remarkable blank spots have
been favorite theme of discussion
and argument among all astronomers,
for, whatever the real shupe or dis
tribution Of that universe may lie. they
point to the almost certain inference
that in particular direction Mt lnnst
there is an actual limit to the number
of stars, and IL there Is n limit III one
direction we hive every right to sun
pose that such Is the case In others.
and that VIC have only to wait for
telescopes strong enough to resolve
those parts which nre still unresolva-
iDle 10 discover that point can be
reached when all the stars of the uni
verse arc. unfolded TO our gaze -.
II. now. we admit TINT the number
of visible stars is limited. the next
question to be. asked is, What Ia the
order or shape Of their distribution?
Various astronomers have had various
theories about this matter. Horschcl
was inclined TO think that the visible
universe WAS in the shape OF 4 disk,
though his views In this direction were
considerably modified during The later
part of his life. Strive considered That
tie universe was in the Shape OF IL disk
of limited thickness. but infinite length,
n theory which is hard TO support, as,
unless the ultimate extinction OF light
i'll space is believed in. that part of
the heavens which lay toward the
plane Of the disk would necessarily
shine with the brightness Of the SIN.