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Show The Sun. Prof Gould, of Cam-biidge, Cam-biidge, has the following theory of the . sun : "The theories respecting the sun are various. The only theory left us is that the light and heat of the sun are the result, of mechanical action. Two astronomers advance the theory that this action i the result of falling mete ors. Meteors revolve around the sun, yet do not fall into it. If this theory were true, then we should on the earth's surface have large numbers of them. Another theory is that of meteoric bodies falling a short distance very rapidly. Of course this would generate gener-ate heat. The most approved theory is something like this : The condition of the elements at the sun is inorganic. The decomposition of these elements is effected in such a way as to produce nn amount of heat unknown to us. These elements arc changed to vapor, which then rises and floats around the sun. As i' rea.'hes the outer space, it loses its heat, and is again changed into a solid, which, in the form of these granules I have described to you, descends again to the sun, to be chanted to vapor; and this process will continue until the sun loses so much of its heat as to arrest the prooesa. Then the sun will cease to give light and heat, and the earth, which was once a part of the sun, and existed in a gas-rous gas-rous form, will become a frozen mass, destitute of the forms of animal life now known to us. This will probably be the preparatory step to some other grand change. When will this happen hap-pen '? It has been calculated by me that the sun has been giving out light and heat for from three and a half to twenty millions of years. There has been no appreciable change in the history his-tory of the world, in the thermal heat given out by the sun ; but, as 1 have -aid, the sun must lose power, and a time will come, hundreds of years hence, when the sun will go entirely out. The age of the sun has been to nputed to te about one hundred millions mil-lions of years. |