What We Learn from the Sun 



may, of course, be special differences. In one 

 planet the proportionate distribution of the ele- 

 ments may differ, and even differ very markedly 

 from that which prevails in some other planet. 

 But the general conclusion remains, that the 

 planets are formed of the elements which have 

 so long been known as terrestrial; for we cannot 

 recognize any reason for believing that our 

 earth alone, of all the orbs which circle around 

 the sun, resembles that great central orb in 

 general constitution. 



Now, we have in this general law a means of 

 passing beyond the bounds of the solar system, 

 and forming no indistinct conceptions as to the 

 existence and character of worlds circling around 

 other suns. For it will be seen in the chapter on 

 stars that these orbs, like our sun, contain in their 

 substance many of the so-called terrestrial ele- 

 ments, while it may not unsafely be asserted 

 that all or nearly all these elements, and few or 

 no elements unknown to us, exist in the substance 

 of every single star that shines upon us from the 

 celestial concave. Hence we conclude that 

 around these suns also there circle orbs con- 

 stituted like ourselves, and therefore containing 

 the elements with which we are familiar. And 

 the mind is immediately led to speculate on the 

 uses which those elements are intended to sub- 

 serve. If iron, for example, is present in some 

 noble orb circling around Sirius, we speculate not 

 unreasonably respecting the existence on that 

 orb either now, or in the past, or at some future 

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