Читать книгу Outlines of Creation - Elisha Noyce - Страница 6

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Upon observing the relative distances of the planets from each other in passing outwards from Mercury, it will be found that each one is placed about double the distance of the one next before it (not exactly, but sufficiently near to form a coincidence almost amounting to a law), they are as follows:—

Mercury		36,700,000
Venus		68,770,000
The Earth		95,000,000
Mars		144,780,000
Jupiter		494,000,000
Saturn		906,000,000
Uranus		1822,000,000
Neptune		2850,000,000

It will be seen, however, that in this table of distances there is one great exception to the rule, namely the distance between Mars and Jupiter, which is nearly double what it should be according to this rule, giving rise to the idea that a planet ought to be placed between them. Professor Bode was so convinced that something of the kind was necessary to complete the harmony of the series, that he caused to be instituted a search for the supposed planet, and according to his conjecture one was discovered as nearly as possible in the situation indicated, but upon more accurate information being obtained, this planet was found to be so small (scarcely 150 miles diameter) that it could hardly be considered as a planet ranging with the others, and having so large a space of the heavens to itself; shortly afterwards another small planet was discovered, having nearly the same orbit. From time to time others have been discovered, to the number of forty-two, up to the present date. Dr. Olbers upon discovering the second of these small bodies, where one great one was anticipated, put forth the curious hypothesis, that one large planet had really existed there at some former time, that it had been shattered into pieces by some accident, such as an internal explosion, and that more of these pieces would be found; it is curious how accurately this prediction has been verified.

If we suppose the original planet to have been liquid when shattered to pieces, it would fully account for the fragments being spherical, just as globules of mercury assume this form from their own attraction of gravitation, and that the planets, our own earth amongst them, are liquid, is very nearly proved by their forms, which are exactly such as fluid masses rotating on an axis would assume, moreover the specific gravity of some of the planets is but little more than that of water, and with respect to our earth, the evidence of internal heat, increasing as we descend below the surface, &c., show almost beyond doubt that at the present time it is in a liquid state (molten) covered over by a few miles' thickness of hardened crust, which bears such a small proportion to the bulk of the globe, that the whole may be considered as liquid.