140 WRITINGS OF JOSEPH HENRY. [1855- 



snn, from which it is removed ninety-five millions of miles 

 at its mean distance. Neptune occupies the most distant 

 limit, and is more than thirty times farther removed than 

 the earth from the principal centre of influence. But these 

 distances, though greatly beyond our definite conceptions, 

 are nothing in comparison with the intervals which separate 

 the sun from the fixed stars. These bodies like the sun are 

 self-luminous, and are without doubt centres of planetary 

 systems; but they are at such an inconceivable distance that 

 light itself, which requires but eight minutes to reach us 

 from the sun, occupies years of time in its journey from the 

 nearest of them. But all the stars which are visible to the 

 naked eye form only a single group, which, if viewed at a suf- 

 ficient distance, would appear in the heavens as only a lumi- 

 nous cloud or spot, and would resemble the nebulous patches 

 which we perceive here and there in different parts of the 

 heavens by the aid of powerful telescopes. This universe, 

 unbounded (at least to human intelligence) — is composed of 

 isolated groups of stars, and perhaps of orders of arrange- 

 ment still more elevated. In this magnificent assembly our 

 nebula is only a spot in the infinity of spots; our sun is only 

 a star in the midst of the stars of the group to which it be- 

 longs; and among the planets which revolve around our sun, 

 the earth is one of an inferior order. 



Starting from the grouping of gross atoms, which we have 

 previously given, and extending the analogy, the thought 

 has been expressed that our earth might be compared to an 

 atom; the earth and moon to a compound atom; the whole 

 system to a molecule; and our sun, and all the stars of the 

 group to which it belongs, as the great solid of solids, and 

 thus in one conception embracing the whole material 

 universe. But to limit our speculations we may inquire 

 whether the infinity of stars by which we are surrounded 

 has any influence upon the climate and temperature of 

 this earth. 



Influence of the stars. — It is well known that at one time 

 the stars were supposed to influence human destiny, and 

 though astronomy has discarded most of the pretensions of 



