Year: 1861

EnckS comet, which revOlves about the
sun in 81 years, has been observed to
complete its revolution in u constantly
shortening period, showing that it is being
drawn inward towards the sun. This fact
has led to the general conclusion by as
tronomers that the planets are moving in
resisting medium, far more atteuuated
than our atmosphere, but still sufficient to
affect their motions. If this is so, it fol.
lows by strict necessity that our earth and
its sister orbs are all winding spirally to-
wards the sun, and that they must eventu-
ally strike against it and become incorpo-
rated with lis mass. The time acquired
for this purpose belongs to those iacopcei-
vabIe periods with which geology and as
tronomy have to deal. The resisting me-
dunn is SO exceedingly at;enuated that ii
eXerts but Slight influence on the comets
which are themselves masses of the very
thinnest vapor, and its influence would Of
sourse be very much less on the dense
matter of the planets. Astronomical oh
servations, with all their wonderful delica-
cy, have yet failed to detect the slightest
progressive shortening in the periods of
revolution of any of the planets. / is
curious, however, TO note the multiplied
obstacles which prevent the perception Of
this fact, if it does exist All the meas
ures of these revolutions are shortening
with the revolutions themselves. If we
begin, for instance with the earth, the pro.
bieln is to ascertain whether the time &C.
cupled by the earth in its journey around
the sun is gradually becoming shorter
The first plan that suggests itself is 10
compare this with the rotation of the
earth upon It's axis, 10 see whether the
year occupies the same number Of days
and hours and seconds that ii did in former
times. But If the earth IS gradually cool
ing, 1t Is contracting in size, and lis rota
tions on It's axis are becoming more rapid;
i'll other words, the day is shortening with
the year; and if the measure shrinks ust
in proportion to the thing measured, we
cannot tell whether the later is becoming
shorter or not. | f we take the time Of the
revolutions of the moon around the earth
as standard, the same resisting medium
would draw the moon towards the earth
and shorten the month also with the year
Ii we resort even to the less satisfactory
measure of the suns rotation on his axis,
the bulk is also diminishing by the radia
ton OF his heat, and the period Of his ro
taton is consequently becoming shorter.
Tn brief, from the two causes of radiation
and the resisting medium, all the times
and distances which could be used TO
measure the ear,h's distance from the sun
or the period of its annual revoulution)
are shortening together. So that the dit
ferences in the extent oe these several con-
tradictions are the only means left for de
tecting by observation the approach Of
the earth to the sun, if such approach is
really taking place. These differences
would doubtless reveal themselves n the
course of generations to refined asironomi
cal observations.


If the earth and the sun are gradually
becoming cold, this winding Of the earth
towards the sun would tend to keep up its
warmth, and it may be wise provision
for prolonging, by some millions of years,
the continuance of animal life upon our
globe. But this period must come to
close, for if there Is resisting medium
pervading the space between us ard the
sun, the final destiny of the earth is to
curve gradually inward till, with ve.ooi
ty hundreds of times greater than that of
a cannon oall, it dashes itself with All aw-
fally sublime crash into The mass Of the
sun.