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Show F v; v ; Mu 4 ;, JNewly Discovered , ; TV",V";T . 1 H ir!2?T&H Lines of Ckloroptyll -'-V ''" ' ?: ' ' ' , (Near the i "KT C1 ' ' ' ' ' x s ' 3 fSPEenctinr XVXr'' 7 m JNeptune s Dpectrum . . k ?. ' - i ; j of Neptune, ,t O f W J " , ! ' e I " , s ' '' -.v s 4 ' t rSl i'v &V' 1 buggest btrange .Living - ;' , : Indication of J UPAHU , . T 1 V ' ' - ' - , " ' ' ' , ule'Tw Vvt.;i! Creatures m Awrul . ' ; ';. ' ;V-V;; ! - ' r tj'Me0on. L--J--- Ls old and JJarkness, : ; i'y -;: t . ! 2.792.000l000 Miles from tke Sun (-', ;V?'v'-: : ; : " I By Prof. Garrett P. Serviss. THE statement has several times recently re-cently been published that the spectroscope spec-troscope reveals evidence of the existence ex-istence of chlorophyll (the green coloring matter of vegetable cells) on the planets Uranus and Neptune, the two most distant worlds of the solar system. In the imaginable imagin-able consequences that it suggests this statement is an astonishing one, since it can be regarded as indicating the existence of organic life under a new order of circumstances, circum-stances, totally different from those of our world, some of the details of which, on a purely speculative basis, of course, will be pointed out as we go on. The statement referred to is founded on certain observations of lines, or bands, In the spectrum of the light of the planets Uranus and Neptune, the identity of which with the characteristic marks of the substance sub-stance chlorophyll may be questioned. This identilication is provisionally accepted, ac-cepted, however, by Dr. A. D. C. Crommelin, In a recent bobk on astronomy. Let us now consider what chlorophyll is and what its presence on those distant worlds may imply. Chlorophyll, as already stated, is the green coloring matter of plants, and it is found in all living vegetable cells. It is not a simple element, like oxygen, nitrogen, nitro-gen, calcium, iron, etc., but is a complex cSyJnical compound. Its exact constitution Jif still uncertain, but magnesium is said r to be one of its indispensable constituents. Chlorophyll is chemically related to the proteids, which are "by far the most complicated com-plicated of the compounds of living sub- stance," while they and their compounds "play by far the most important part of all i2nic matter in the processes of life." This is ' enough to show the immense Interest that attaches to the discovery of chlorophyll in the atmospheres of two great planets, the smallest of which, Uranus, is sixty-five times as large as the earth, while the other, Neptune, exceeds the earth eighty-five times in size. On the earth the only function, or we might say, the only reason for the existence of. chlorophyll chloro-phyll appears to be its agency in the maintenance main-tenance of living organisms. It lies at the very basis of life in our world, for vegetation vege-tation is dependent upon it, while, in turn, animal life cannot be maintained without the food which chlorophyll enables vegetable veget-able organisms to prepare from raw mineral min-eral matter. We cannot too strongly insist, upon the significance of the fact that chlorophyll is not known to exist for any other pur-, pur-, pose than to enable vegetable organisms to derive their sustenance from 'the lifeless life-less mineral world around them. The further fact that it is a very complex - compound, which seems to have been formed only with reference to its peculiar relation to organic life, renders its occurrence occur-rence upon other worlds so much the more suggestive of the existence of the living organisms in those worlds, and this in spite of the vast difference between the earth's physical state. and theirs. Granting the existence o this mysterious mysteri-ous life-accompanying substance on Uranus and Neptune, let us next consider what -the- physical condition of those planets is, and what circurastauces peculiar pe-culiar to them would probably funda-" funda-" mentally affect the relation between chlorophyll and vital phenomena there Take first the consequences of their great relative distances from the' sun. Uranus is at a mean distance, of 1,782 million w miles, while the distance of Neptune is ,uparty 3.702 million miles, that, of the TNrt.h being onlv 93 millions. The mosi Talking consequence of such great re muteness from the sun is the resultan less of 'intensity of the solar heat anc light, as compared with that intensity or the earth. On Uranus the sun gives only ahou 1 S6Sta as much radiant energy per uni of surface as it Rives on the earth, wane on Neptune the fraction is reduced to onlv 1 r04th. The particular importance o his for our present subject becomes evl dent when it is stated that chlorophyll t! active only in the presence of light. It: function for the plant is to absorb radian energy from .the sunlight, and. in somi manner not yet understood, to emplo: that energy 'in forming carbohydrate: from the 'carbon dioxide gas contained ii the air. From these carbohydrates th plant is built up. At first it looks as if this were a fata blow to the hypothesis that chlorophyl may serve on Uranus snd Neptune t build up organic life. But the objection i more apparent than real, because the effef tive Intensity of the light ou those planet ' is. after all, far greater than the numeric? I comparison indicates. Even on Neptunt - for Instance, the solar light must be 700 o SOO times as bright as full moonlight 01 the earth, while on Uranus the bright -ne of the sun is probably from 1.600 to 2.00 th-s that of the full moon. On the othe JTai, terrestrial experience shows that lnoderate degree of sunlight, is the mof favorable to the effective su-tion of chlorc phvll so that it might turn out that, i combination with other circumstances, the rela- t ' i ! tive faintness of the sun- " , " 5 shine on Uranus and Nep- E v ' -4 k ' - " ' tune is an advantage t v , 1 ' " , L v , i i rather than otherwise. F t' ' '' Another consequence t " i 1 . of the remoteness of the f ' , 1 tt .C, -a two planets which we', . 'jfj' . y must take into consider- t , c 1 s' ation is the very low tern- v ; peratures to which they ; "",, t -5 i'S- s -s' '' " may be subjected. These, . ' s V . t i , , , when reckoned in terms i " i ' " of the Kelvin scale, i i t , t XV1 '-J ' which begins with abso- -r " f i lute zero-and in that f I t1, ' ! ,A , , I way only can a true com- , i ! ''(' ' r , , 1 i, ' t parison of the effects of ' f - " 1 ' ' i " ' ' ' the sun's radiation upon 1 ' - " J different planets be made ; , 4 N "ij appear much more for- ; s . v , y , .Xf midable than the differ- , v 45 ? " ences of illumination " ,'',;vtni)i -f , above described. On ; 1 7 f , Uranus the temperature, 3 " J I , j . , as far as the sun is con- ' A ).' If v . cerned, cannot be higher -' " 1 s J ix ?n than minus 340 degrees v r V . "Ii 1 Fahrenheit, while that of .'aV' i " i Neptune is as low as " , "'c , ! - ' K ah - - minus 364 degrees'. One , . .V" : "7 j, " , would say that every- i V "'f a l ' ( " (. 4 thing must be frozen C T' Z . y, w, , eternally solid on such ' i uv i $ J , " ' worlds as that. Yet - i - t observation renders it ,f ' ' , X . doubtful whether any- - " N xf K 1 N thing is solid there. The . 1 j mean density of both the . . . r -..J planets is but little . . iTVSerX Wtesl "The theory that creatures arise in other planets than that of the suppos- adapted to tseir peculiar environment has edly gaseous sun. caused H. G. Wells to imagine the exist- The earth is five times ence of a race of insect-like monsters as dense as either of jn the arid interior of the moon." them. Since their mean Hftnaitv ia en InW whilp. their diameters exceed 30,000 miles, it follows that the density at their surfaces sur-faces must be much lower yet, and the most probable explanation is that they consist con-sist mainly, if not wholly, or gases and vapors. If this is the fact, the above calculation cal-culation of their temperatures, which is based upon the assumption that their absorbing ab-sorbing and radiating capacity for heat is practically the same as the earth's, must stray far from the actual state of affairs, so that, after all, they may have as much thermal energy as is needed to maintain vital activity. TVe must next confront the question , from another point. Chlorophyll is not. a constituent of the atmosphere on the earth, but is a compound substance found in the cells of plants. Now. in order spectro-scoDically spectro-scoDically to analyze chlorophyll the proc- , ess used is to project a spectrum of ordi-'. ordi-'. nary light through a dilute solution of 1 chlorophyll, whereupon a characteristic red color, due to fluorescent action of the chlorophyll, is seen and a certain part of - the spectrum is cut out by absorption. But such a laboratory experiment cannot be tried bv us on a distant planet, and the ac-) ac-) tion of' chlorophyll upon thJight reflected - from a planet must take place, somehow by a natural process in Its atmosphere, or in 1 the upper strata of its globe, if that globe be composed of gas or vapor. 1 It is quite conceivable that light trans-5 trans-5 mitted through immense quantities of 1 leaves filled with chlorophyll would ex-5 ex-5 hibit the characteristic absorptive effects ' of that substance. But, how could we ex-1 ex-1 plain the existence of vast forests on the-' the-' surface of a planet of so slight density as I that of either Uranus or Neptune? , Therp are two opposite views which might be takeu. First, it might be sup-. sup-. posed that the slight density of those t planets is due to the extreme lightness of the substances comoosing them, the soil of their surface, for instance, being as r light as dust, and the solidest rocks resembling re-sembling pumice stone. Whether living oreanisms. such as plants and animals. , could, be formed out of substances of so t low density is a question that. we. perhaps. p. cannot settle on the basis of our terrestrial ,- experience. But. assuming that thev cnuli e be' formed, and that a substance identical n in nature with chlorophyll constitutes an e essential part of their cells, it is conceivable conceiv-able that the existence of the chlorophyll 1 raicht he revealed by its effects iiwn th il light passing through the translucent 3 structure of "vegetable orcanisms resem-s resem-s hlmg leaves in their functions. Indeed, once launched on the sea ft s speculation, vve might assume that, under 1 the different, circumstances of a planet so !. variant from the earth as either of the r two we are considering, plants as well as n animals, or plants instead of animals, s could develop the peculiar powers and 0 quMiiies'thai. c-n our globe, are associated r with the animal kingdom of life- This a docs not appear to be so wild a supposition. ;t when vve refiect upon tke difficulty of riis- tinguishing between our own plants and n animals when we go down to their very simplest forms, where it looks as if a mere turn of chance sufficed to make soma organisms plants and other animals. Or, the differentiation might be likened to the mysterious operations of vital energy, which turns some animal germs into the male and others into the female direction of development. Supposing, then, that chlorophyll on Uranus and Neptune is an indication of the presence either or both classes of. vifal organisms, or of a combination of the two into one class only, we may look upon its visible manifestation in the light of those planets as a kind of life-spectrum, or a chemical proof of the existence of life conveyed to us, like the spectral proof of the composition of a star, across millions mil-lions of miles of space. One may. commend com-mend to scientific "dry-as-dusts," who are offended in their souls by any play of the imagination over the sacred fields of "exact science" (the exactness depending upon the date), the speculations of one of the most fruitful intellects ever devoted to science, Sir Humphry Davy, who, in his "Consolations in Travel, or The Last Days of a Philosopher," thus describes an imaginary im-aginary scene on the planet Saturn which, bv the way, is even slighter, in density than Uranus and Neptune, -while its spectrum bears considerable resemblance resemb-lance to thirs: "Looking through the atmosphere toward the heavens, I saw brilliant opaque clouds of an azure color that reflected the light of the sun, which had to my eyes an entirely new aspect, and appeared smaller as if seen through dense blue mists. I saw-moving saw-moving on the surface below- me immense masses, the forms of which I find it impossible im-possible to describe. They bad systems for locomotion similar to those of the morse or sea-horse, but I saw with great surprise that they moved from place to place by six extremely thin membranes which they used as wiugs. Their colors were varied and beautiful, but principally princi-pally azure and rose-color. I saw numerous numer-ous convolutions of tubes, more analogous to the trunk of the elephant than anything else I can imagine, occupying what I supposed to be the upper parts of the body, and it was with a. species of terror that I saw one of them mounting upward, apparently fiving toward thce opaque clouds which brave before mentioned. 'Those beings.' sain the genius, 'have a sphere of sensibili'y and inrpi-Wrual inrpi-Wrual enjoyment far superior to 'hat of the inhabitants of your eavfh Each of those tubes is an organ nr Pcc'il:ar mo! Ion o'" sensation. Thev have manv modes of perception of w-hih yon ar w '-oi'v i-;:! rrnt. . It w ouM he it-el-s for p.1 -- to attempt to explain thir orgaaitiort which you could never understand." If to this flipht of the irpa:ina-icn of the great English chemist we ac.d tha suggestions derived from the an'arert. presence of ch!orophyll i:i the su:-ro:;nd-ir.es of two piane's greatly resemh'ins Saturn, we get an imacinmive concern-ion of the way in which the liht reiicrtri from the surface of the planet ihrovieb a lofty atmosphere filled with translucent. I'u;':--: ig-'n:. 1 :"-1 s . by star i.V:v;.-ny i ' " ' - t " . ; ' ; - 1 A ' v ; , - . r x , ; . J " . r - , - ;;! v ' " . . - 1; ; ; 61 . . . , , , I I s - V . . I " tx , " j - y - 1 r 1 f ' , " V ' - ' ' r ' ' " ' x k Vvfe-' - . N K " rr i ?' i r 1 ' . x . x ' , 1 t - - 4 y X s , , - ' ' , ; J f - '-' L 'V ' 1 ' l v ' . 1. ; - . - . - ' 1 i r 1 "i.. TV vr'' r r 't ' , 1 V -V v " " v - - " " tt ' r r ' A 5 " ' i " , ' ' , , - , , , v - - ' , ? J - ' : - wi I', ! ' , , x BlT , , , v ( ! ! ' -r'" " - ' t ' ' , ' : . ; " s ' 1 -! ' T ' 1 I ' ' ! f ' . x - ' " : -ft N - n ' .! v fv, ;;-v- . J ' fr-.-;: '.'.;. :",' -s-k- i.v- t.!..J 's"vi-;,! 5 tJxteSj.fjj.::;,- .i'.i-r.-iSs.sjM.' ;ffs v t-.L'.-'.'''1 - ..:- ;- -ja v.; !5'-'.-:,;''ir,;.;!i l,,--.. ';:.-: ;-;., f 1 ' S 1 - , - v , v - e . J t ' v V - v. , -t -v ; ' i . f 1 - , 4 ' fxrff ' v " , r tj. Vv 1 , , , v - , ' , ' "The hot and hnavj atmosphere of Mars has been made the basU v 14 of a theory that monstrous and terrible creatures must exist C there and upon the same reasoning it is supposed that , the exceeding cold and tenuous atmosphere of Neptune i, v ' may have led to the growth of a race of gaseous, cellular beings " j i ' ' r . ' 4 ) ' ' flying organisms, might througa absorptive action of the chlorophyll produce the visible spectral effects on which the theory of the presence of the chlorophyll is based. A planet, whose flora and fauna were suspended in its atmosphere would thus be peculiarly suited to give us spectroscopic spec-troscopic evidence of its possession of life. At this point, and before describing the peculiar aspects of the life of animals and plants' that one might expect to find in the Uranian and Neptunian worlds, let us devote de-vote a few words to the second view of the constitution of those planets, viz.: that which regards them as wholly gaseous. In such a case the structure of organisms would be still more fantastic and only comparable com-parable with that of the imaginary beings seen in drifting clouds and mountain mists huge, unformed, monstrous, though often of wild beauty, and majestic in mien and movement. They would approach in constitution con-stitution "disembodied spirits." or ghosts, being composed of inexplicable colligations of traseous atoms, taking the place of the bones, muscles end tissues that form the subjects of our anatomical and physiological physio-logical studies. A gaseous life-cell I? Inconceivable to the tled-un mind of the man who measures and jndc.es everything by terrestrial standards, stand-ards, fragmentary and Incomplete though such standard? he, but a Utile confidence in the power of inluiiion which is the, real snark of divinity in human intelligence, enables one to contemplate possibilities of ;hi? kind without ioin.g hold on the very different sped"; of conceptions upon which f"ir empirical, or verifiable, science is hasd Of eourse. since the tneral constitution of the p'apot would also h saeous. Iivine e"aui:ms thus ccn sti' d mns.t 'inhabit" ti e'T- TYriri in a cencc onsidr-rabiy different differ-ent from thai in wltirn y-e and our living eHn-i;-ie-"s iphb1' the earth We dweil only on the surface of a soiid giohe. and in an ajmoPhere cf trtix'd gases enclosing it. which Is too r-.re to permit, us to ris pto th? midst of it e.crot.,by the aid of our itneiieyti-.a! mas'ry over na'vtral fn-ces. B'it in a raseous planet inhabited by aser-iis creator's t-he latter woui.i have their abode In the bony of the planet itself, it-self, or at lef.s: in the more superficial t or;:or.s of it. End it is conceivable that they t-ouM neirimr have nor need a "ht- c;:-r-!L FP-;'.in rtius K-ervru. Diagram Showing the Relative Position of the Planets and the Sun and the Enormous Distance of Neptune, the Farthest of Them, ..-. f,s. .T-T T. . "j 4 ' , J ' . , t. V'. v , ' ! f-fxr'; ;..(.;-, --.' y : ' - . .'... '.:;:.-'. '..' - ' .' - ' ' I . - - 1 . ..... . .... ... . ... -. - . . , . , f , ' i':-;,. '..y:'i- . :'-:. 1 : ' i tote'' on which to T??t. Their relations to the medium in whirh they dwell would reFemhle. though it would also differ from, that, of fish in the :-a. The fish seek a solid bottom for certain purposes, though penerally independent of it, while, unless there be, a, solid nucieus in the heart of Neptune or Uranus. tm supposititious vaporous inhabitant ' those vaporous planets would have po-hm:; resembling ground to stand on. But as happens for th't cre'a'ures (irPri"2 in the superficial strata of the oran waters, ih? increasing pressure at. great depths, which in the case of a caseous, elnhe wnulu he accompanied by ereat ir.rrfase nf rien uv also. w-ould serve to create ? rina-'-i tn,"in as impenetrable to orzanl-m:- -a fr-'i! in their structure a" if it were vl'd. Upon th whole. It seems be--t to s-sittp upon a modifira tion of Fir HiiTp'sry rvy'' vision of the world and the ipp5b-a"t? r.f Saturn to fit tlie rase of Uran'iS "fi Np-tune. Np-tune. Assuming the existet.e of tpv. thing answering to a surface, ve rri'-ty picture an atmosphere of vry crreat flep'h, but not of very great, mean O'nsiiy, in which the equivalents of both plant and animal life abound. The structure of these oreanlsms is to he rgard"d as hardly mi,f nonderable. than that of s pidr r-weby of liquid hitbbk--, Th'!' mrift striking car-;(.;rTi-tie mi.;-h he n i.-ij pet fieia 1 rer-ePJ-hlattce lo baboops r'f an iniiciie, variety of sw ntlf! f'-'i-p-.p Pidifuious as this pent, nevr rt li pf ;t rt p alU10-f he PiiJ1(:hed hy .-MPP r,f t';e li i!2 In; qs C'f the earll, e-tyisl" :ho:-e liryiy bi the va'er. f :: : : ii'r. -" l'-n f.t iPIt-rl-. fVftTntS Of f 'il i v ol u ' f-'i tub'"-- wpiiM '' in lo (it t hB ra-fo as ..!! . any i' ai can be f, c tp ran v nf X' i -,t unian" mit hi ':r irirje-rrpt ay n ri-'nt ri! : p buPb ' Cr.-;;p-; I r:it , j : n , o: Vi-.tiitiiiil of all r.-f ; r n r- a! ' y ' rr7.'"i s Pihri-i, ;;iiT"' b . : '1 1 ' ' e '' : -i 1 , a ipt ''tlO pir,:it r':i't: i'"' ' p 1 t - - 'jtp ve Z' ' itl i i !!.( i fiip'MPPs. or n-.-.ro probaWv he ra - rri ta i't't t'tat v. r. rr,u'j im-ii-tiue no ( ;. -.i;i,-. - i':;-, t, ft ! i i p" , a cnati're a? iii tii'-'i, ay , .it o'ii'-lpiiae iliy our i'rrc-s 't.iiii'i. t.pa i,p'irr.:;t : -.- n't eva ipt'sr e-pt a? a Tai!, V.".-. r o;ii'l .'it osr"'. ') In p'-hvts of cnntjirfi vi aipl 'apaciiy for enjoy, ment. tip. srf a .-.! tt'iiius and the most, f-X'j'iis:"'iy '.'I't' .iiip'' I ' ;ir'ii rr- an tiiai - v er aiJb'-arci m y(f co: r-" mortal veiaures ot the (-arlli. |
