ABSOLUTE ATTRACTION OF MATTER. 17' 
Venus and Mercury will appear like pretty twin stars near together during 
the first week of July ; Venus being north of Mercury. They will be nearly an 
hour above sun-rise point in early twilight. Mars is about two hours above Venus 
and a little more south, but too small and dim to be of much interest. It will be 
near Saturn — 1)^° N. — about the 20th. 
On July 5th, the Sun passes directly between the earth and Jupiter, making 
an occultation of the planet which lasts about ten hours. After that Jupiter is a 
morning star, and may be seen just above the sun-rise point, in the latter part of 
the month. Saturn is near three hours higher that Jupiter, being a little above, 
and to the left of Aldebaran, the bright red star in Taurus; and about ten degrees 
below the Pleiades. It is, therefore, in pretty good position for morning obser- 
vation. Neptune is still above and farther south — occupying a blank region in 
Taurus; and can hardly be identified without a good equatorial telescope. In 
the morning of the 26th Venus and Jupiter will be near together — like a fine 
double star — Venus to the north. New Moon takes place July 4th, about 9 A. 
M. An interesting display of sun-spots has been visible in June, and will likely 
be more or less so in July. 
PHYSICS. 
ABSOLUTE ATTRACTION OF MATTER. 
EDGAR L. LARKIN. 
It is known that all worlds within range of the most powerful telescopes are 
dominated by attraction. They are subject to the lav/ of gravity, and attraction 
is the grand motor of the machinery of the universe. If we desire to measure a 
force we must have a unit of measurement, and the object of this note is to find 
an absolute unit of attraction ; to learn how much matter exerts so much attrac- 
tive energy. The only plan possible, is to find the quantity of matter in the 
earth, and thus ascertain the strength of attraction exerted by it. 
Having found this, it then becomes a simple question to determine the grav- 
ity exerted by any sphere whether one inch or 1,000,000 miles in diameter, 
whether the sun or a croquet-ball. It has been found by repeated experiments, 
and by different methods, that the density of the whole earth is 5.66, that of 
water=i. Onecubicfootofdistilled waterat 60° F., weighs 62.321 pounds, which 
multiplied by 5.66=352.73 pounds. Since the earth's volume is known, its mass 
becomes a mere question of arithmetic, and is: 6,743,610,190,383,705,901,809 
tons. 
That is, — if we cut up the earth into balls, bring each, one at a time to the 
surface, weigh, and replace it whence it came, then if their weight should be i ton 
