A general review of the solar systems. 



The universe is inhabited by myriads of stars. Pho- 

 tographs of the heavens show at times as many as 3000 

 luminous bodies in one square inch, all orbs living their 

 own life and governed by cosmic law. The chief mark 

 of vitality of stars is their light. Light is the language 

 of stars. Like the fish in the sea they are dumb, but 

 like the phosphorescent animal organisms in that element 

 they indicate their thoughts and desires by luminous 

 phenomena. 



Look up into the firmament at night. What a won- 

 derful panorama of lights is spread above us! Here one 

 star is throwing out all the colours of the rainbow ; 

 another near seems to blush a uniform red in confusion 

 at its own poverty of colours; a third is sending down 

 a pale blue ray of aristocratic tint; a fourth shines with 

 yellow light; some seem to glance like the eyes of a 

 coquette ; others gleam like a lantern ; some appear to 

 wink unceasingly ; others to fix upon you an eternal stare. 



The scientific world divides these starry spheres into 

 two classes, the first including those fixed suns which 

 shine with their own light, and the second such orbs as 

 merely reflect such solar light-viz, the planets and their 

 satellites. But such classification is mistaken. If the 

 world of stars reveals its existence by light, why should 

 we exclude the planets and their moons. There is no 

 doubt but that these have their own phosphorescent or 

 electric light, which lies concealed by the prevailing bril- 

 liance of the sun, unnoticed as the light of a candle in 

 broad day. 



