Daily Arizona silver belt., 1907-01-16
PROBLEMS OF SPACE
sNIeMAs THAT SCIENCE IS STRIVING
 TO SOLVE.
The Question of Rn Inantty of Worlds and Their Distribution In an Inanity of spacc--Dtstance of the Nearest External Universe.

an lnnnfty or spncc-Dtstnnce ot tue
 Nearest External Universe.
 | There can be no subject more cal rulated to impress a mans mind with his own insignlficance compared with the overwhelming power and glory of his Creator than the study and con temptation of the Armament in all It's | boundless intinity. It Is not to be wondered at that 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 | in solving its mysteries have always been reverenced and esteemed to be among the wisest men of their day. More has been done within the last | fifty years than in all the rest of the worlds history toward the piercing of the veil which shuts off from our eyes | the beauties and mysteries of faroff realms, and doubtless by means of the spectroscope and increased size In the lenses of our telescopes we shall be enabled before long to unravel still | more secrets or lHt uLlNeTse.
 l The question as to whether space Is | finite or infinite can never be satisfac- torily argued out or Indeed even thought of, for the human mind Is in- capable of grasping the existence of | limit to space, even iii Its most ab- stract form, but the question of the in- finity of worlds and their distribution in the infinity of space lies more close | ly within the scope of human intellect, ] for we have many material facts and calculations to go upon In discovering the probable answer to this most fas- cinating question,
 | Only as far back as the seventeenth century astronomers placed the nun | Der of stars in the universe as little over 1000 but this was absurd, as the real number visible to the naked eye Is about 1000, and perhaps treble that number can be seen by persons with exceptionally good eyesight When the ! heavens, however, are examined through a telescope the number of visi- | ble stars Is enormously increased. In | fact, 1t has been calculated that the most powerful reveals as many as ! loO000,00O! Yet what Is that vast number compared with infnityi It cannot even be likened to q grain of sand on the seashore. and yet if we think the matter out carefully we shall see that the number of visible stars cannot really be infinite, for if they were the heavens would be a complete blaze of light. This, of course, we know is far from being the case. and indeed there cannot be any doubt that in certain parts of the heavens at least the number of visible stars Is already known, for even with the very stron- gest telescopes there are blank spaces which are absolutely devoid of. stars below certain magnitude or even the veriest trace of nebulous light.
 These spaces are known to astrono- mers by the name of coal sacks They contain no stars fainter 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 the heav- ems we have not by any means reached the limit of telescoplc resolvabillty Ii is curious, though, that these intensely dark holes" in the bright empyrean are mostly to be found in those parts of the heavens where most stars abound, notably in the Milky Way.
 These remarkable blank spots have been a favorite theme of discussion and argument among all astronomers, | for, whatever the real shape or dis tributlon of that universe may be, they point to the almost certain inference that in particular direction at least there is an actual limit to the number of stars, and if there is limit in one direction we have every right to sup pose that such Is the case in others, and that we have only to wait for telescopes strong enough to resolve those parts which are still unresolya- ble to discover that a point can be | reached when all the stars of the uni verse are unfolded to our gaze
 If, now, we admit that the number of visible stars is limited, the next question to be asked Is, What Is the order or shape of their distribution? Various astronomers have had various theories about this matter. Herschel was inclined to think that the visible universe was in the shape of a disk, though his views in this direction were considerably modified during the later part of his life. Struve considered that the universe was in the shape of disk of limited thickness, but infinite length, a theory which is hard to support, as, unless the ultimate extinction of light in 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 sun. Proctor, though finding 1t impossible to define any particular shape for the wis ible universe, as a whole, was of the opinion that the brightest part of It. namely, the Milky Way-was in the form of a spiral. This latter theory, however, has many objections to con tend with. Other astronomers have had different theories on this question, but all, or nearly all, appear to admit an ultimate limit to the size of the visl- ble universe, or, in other words. believe that the galaxy O. worlds which sur round us form, iD fact, but an islet In the vast infnity or space.
 It would appear at first sight that any attempt to solve the question of the existence of external galaxies and their distance was absolutely futile, yet such is not the case. The result of cal culation is that the nearest external universe Is so far distant that light from it travelling at the speed of 188,- 900 miles second would take nearly 90,000000 years to reach us-Cham bers' Journal.
 In the Typewriter Shop.
 Polite Salesman-We have here our | new modal No Vn,, x.,ttt ~xt--