Milford chronicle., 1915-10-08

To the visible universe there are at
tainable limits. 1t may be that the
greatest telescopes have not yet reach
ed the bottom, or the boundaries, of
the entire system, but they have al
most done so.
This is shown by the thinning out of
the fainter stars. These stars, as
whole, are the most distant and if they
were unlimited numerically every in
crease in the penetrating power of
telescopes would bring previously un-
seen ones into view, in propOrtionately
undiminished numbers.
As a fact. however, there is a rapid
falling off in the propOrtionate NUM-
bers at great distances. This is shown
by Kapteyn's law of star density"
Taking the 'parsec" as the unit Of
measurement ia parsec is equal to
nineteen million million miles,, the
density Of the stars at increasing dis
tances comes out as follows: At 0 dis
tance. LOO; at so .parsecs, O.99; at 1876
parsecs, O.SG; at 213 parsecs, OCT; at
$40 parsecs, O.3O; at $50 parseis, O.15.
This does not mean that the absolute
number of stars decreases with increase
of distance, but that the ratio of their
number to the volume of space occu-
pied decreases in the proportion shown,
so that at a distance of $50 parsecs !
there are only 10 per cent as many
stars as there should be if there had |
been no falling off in relative density.
Various counts and estimates Of the
actual numbers included within various
limiting distances have been made. and
these show that the total number of
stars in the visible universe is numer-
able and probably does not exceed Il
thousand millions at an outside esti-
mate.
The fact that fairly definite shape
or outline has been found for the visl-
bic universe is in itself a proof that
it is not unlimited in extent. We are
virtually certain that it expands around
us in such a manner as to assume
roughly the form of a fiat, irregular
disk, the more distant parts or edges
Of which lie in the plane of the Milky
way. 1t is thus like floating island of
stars in the ocean of space.
Space itself may be infinite, although
what we call the universe is not. As
to other universes existing beyond the
limits Of ours and invisible to us, that
is purely a speculation, which appears
more or less probable according to the
manner in which ones mind approach
es it.
But, at any rate, there is no positive
of the existence of such outer
star systems. From time to time one
hears suggestions that this or that neb-
ula. is an Outside universe" dimly
shining to us from its millions Of
crowded stars across immeasurable
tracts of intervening space. But it is
far more probable that no nebula or T
other object visible in the mightiest I
telescope is uncOnnected with the uni 7
verse to which our sun and our earth q
belong +
As to the continuance of the Crea- q
-Or's work in forming new suns and (
new planets, of that there can be no
question. This work is, in truth, visi- s
by going on before us in the heavens b
There is the utmost variety of ages e
lmong the stars, just as there is
mOng the human beings in a crowd.
f our lives were heightened so that a
ear would be but as second to us a
We should see the stars around us dis r;
ppearing and new ones springing into d
Xistence. as we see flowers fading a,
nd fresh ones blooming in the garden. f.
To return for moment to the ques- fl
ion of the infnitude of space. it is b
rell known that the human mind can m
ot conceive a limit to space for the al
Instant you attempt to fix or imagine 81
uch a limit your imagination flies be- in
ond it, You have got to think of an a
utside as well as of an inside. til
And if you fly to another imagined l.
oundary instantly another outside ex-
anse stretches away before you! 1t
, then, perfectly legitimate to sup
ose that, while the visible universe NJ
limited, the invisible universe has 81
0 bounds. In comparison with that, &C
Il that we see, or can ever see, is, al
'uly, infinitely less than as q grain Al
sand to a desert or a drop Of water er
an ocean-Garrett P. Serviss in Su
ew York Journal. rit