Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-09-24
APEEP INTO SPACE
Can the Finite Mind Of Man
Measure the Universe?
THE LIMITS OF THE VISIBLE.
Science Says the Bounds of the Stellar
System Are Defnabe and That the
Universe Is as an Island of Stars In
an Infinite Ocean of Ether.

System Are DefinabIe and That this
Universe Is as an Island of Stars In
an Infinite Ocean of Ether.
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 a
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 fact, however, there is 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 O dis
tance, 100; at so parsecs, 900; at 1876
parsecs, O.S6; at 213 parsecs, OCT; at
$40 parsecs 0.30; 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,
30 that at 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
thousand millions at an outside esti-
mate.
The fact that fairly definite shape
or outline has been found for the visl-
BILE universe is in itself a proof that
1t is not unlimited In extent. We are
virtually certain that 1t expands around
us In such manner as to assume
roughly the form Of fat, 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 unlverses existing beyond the
limits Of ours and invisible to us, that
is purely speculation. which appears
more or less probable according to the
manner in which ones mind approach
es 1t.
But, at any rate. there is no positive
evidence 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 lmmeasurable
tracts of intervening space. But 1t is
far more probable that no nebula or
other object visible in the mightiest
telescope is unconnected with the uni
verse to which our sun and our earth
belong.
As to the continuance of the Crea-
tors work In forming new suns and
new planets. of that there can be no
question. This work is. in truth. visi- |
bly, going on before us in the heavens.
There is the utmost variety of ages
among the stars. just as there is
among the human beings in a crowd.