70-(40) ARE OTHER WORLDS INHABITED \ 



he affords, to eke out the small supply which they re- 

 ceive directly from the sun. The Saturnian system, 

 again, is no longer mysterious when thus viewed. * * * 

 I do not say that in thus exhibiting the Jovian and Sa- 

 turnian systems in a manner which accords with our 

 ideas respecting the laws of life in the universe, I have 

 given irrefragable testimony in favor of my theory. — 

 That theory must stand, or fall, according to the evi- 

 dence in its favor or against it. But so long as men be- 

 lieve that there is design in the scheme of the universe, 

 they will be readier to accept conclusions which exhibit 

 at once the major planets and their satellites as occupy- 

 ing an intelligible position in that scheme, than views 

 which leave the satellites unaccounted for, and present 

 the giant planets themselves as very questionable abodes 

 for any known orders of living creatures." 



I have given this extract because, so far as I know, 

 Prof. Proctor is the only astronomer who regards the 

 satellites as inhabited, and because it is based upon the 

 idea that the only use for these bodies which would sat- 

 isfy the belief which exists in every mind (although there 

 are those who profess to deny it), that the Creator had a 

 design in their creation. Fully admitting the existence 

 of design, I yet do not see that we are shut up to the al- 

 ternative Avhich presents itself to Prof. Proctor. There 

 may have been in the divine mind a design which scien- 

 tists do not yet perceive. Be that as it may, it is true, 

 as Prof. Proctor says, that his theory must stand or fall 

 by the evidence. And first, I would remark that these 

 bodies are all so remote that conjectures run little risk 

 of being met by incompatible facts. We know absolute- 

 ly nothing of either Jupiter's or Saturn's moons, except 

 that some of them seem to revolve on their axes in the 

 time of a revolution about their primaries, and, from 

 analogy, it is thought that they all do the same. If so, 

 then the amount of light and heat must differ enormous- 

 ly on the opposite sides of each satellite, for the same 

 face would always be turned towards the planet, just as 

 happens in the case of our moon. The hemisphere turn- 

 ed from the planet, receives its supply of light and heat 

 only from the sun. It would therefore be in darkness 

 and cold twenty-one hours for the nearest of Jupiter's 

 system, and eight days and eight hours for the most re- 



