THE STELLAE UNIVERSE. 



broad silver zone, and its seven moons. "We have seen this complex 

 system, sweeping round the sun in a vast orbit, at a distance of a 

 thousand millions of miles, yet preserving such order in its move- 

 ments that no one member of it overtakes or is overtaken by 

 another, the planet having a year thirty times the length of ours, 

 diversified by similar seasons, having variations of temperature 

 within limits equal to those of the earth, but varied by seven 

 different kinds of months. Passing to still more remote distances, 

 we encountered Uranus, attended by moons, the number of which 

 has not been ascertained, and probably furnished with other 

 illuminating apparatus, the discovery of which is reserved for 

 future observers. Revolving at eighteen hundred and twenty 

 millions of miles from the sun, we have shown that this planet 

 has a year eighty-four times the length of ours, diversified no 

 doubt by similar seasons, and that, by reason of its enormous 

 distance, the sun appears to its inhabitants as a disc whose diameter 

 is nineteen times less than that which it presents to us. 



In fine, having arrived at the extreme limits of the system, 

 we found the planet Neptune, revolving at the distance of two 

 thousand eight hundred and fifty millions of miles from the sun, 

 having a year a hundred and sixty-four times longer than ours. 

 Thus, the seasons of this planet have each forty-one years' dura - 

 tion. By reason of its distance, the apparent diameter of the 

 sun, as seen by its inhabitants, is thirty times less than that which 

 it presents to us ; so that the sun appears to them with the same 

 magnitude as that which the planet Venus presents to us when 

 seen under the most favourable aspect. 



Thus it appears that the solar system, of which our earth is an 

 individual member, is included within a circle something less than 

 six thousand millions of miles in diameter ; and the space within 

 this circle has been surveyed with the most marvellous precision 

 by astronomical observers. 



2. This region, however, vast as it is, forms but a small portion 

 of that part of the material universe to which scientific inquiry 

 and research have been extended. The inquisitive spirit of man 

 has not rested content within such limits. Taking its stand at 

 the extremities of the system, and throwing its searching glance 

 towards the interminable realms of space which extend beyond 

 them, it still asks What lies there ? Has the Infinite circum- 

 scribed the exercise of his creative power within these precincts 

 and has He left the unfathomable depths of space that stretch 

 beyond them a wide solitude ? Has He whose dwelling is \ 

 immensity, and whose presence is everywhere and eternal, 

 remained inactive throughout regions compared with which the 

 solar system shrinks into a point ? 

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