64- Fixed Stars. 



7,600,000,000,000 miles. As these dis- 

 tances are immensely great, it may both 

 be amusing, and help to a clearer and 

 more familiar idea, to compare them with 

 the velocity of some moving body, bj 

 which they may be measured. 



The swiftest motion we know of, is 

 that of light, which passes from the sun 

 to the earth in about eight minutes ; and 

 yet this would be above six years travers- 

 ing the first space, and near a year and a 

 quarter in passing from the nearest fixed 

 star to the earth. But a cannon-ball, 

 moving on a medium at the rate of about 

 twenty miles in a minute, would be 

 3,800,000 years in passing from Draco- 

 nis to the earth, and 760,000 years pass- 

 ing from the nearest fixed star. Sound, 

 which moves at the rate of about thir- 

 teen miles in a min. would be 5,60O,OOO 

 years traversing the former distance, and 

 1,128,000 in passing through the latter. 

 The celebrated Kuygens pursued specu- 

 lations of this kind so far, as to believe 

 it not impossible, that there may be stars 

 at such inconceivable distances, that their 

 light has not yet reached the earth sincp 

 the creation. 



