Astronomy for amateurs (1904) (14781486864)
Summary
Identifier: astronomyforamat00flam (find matches)
Title: Astronomy for amateurs
Year: 1904 (1900s)
Authors: Flammarion, Camille, 1842-1925 Welby, Frances A. (Frances Alice) tr
Subjects: Astronomy
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress
Text Appearing Before Image:
Fig. 58.—Raphaels Fire-Bail (^The Madonna of Foligno).202 THE COMETS of the most massive, in which iron predominates, mayeven have issued from the bowels of the Earth, projectedinto space by some volcanic explosion, at an epoch whenour globe was perpetually convulsed by cataclysms ofextraordinary violence. They return to us to-day after
Text Appearing After Image:
Fig. 59.—A Uranolith. being removed from the Earth to distances proportionalto the initial speed imparted to them. This origin seemsthe more admissible as the stones that fall from the skiesexhibit a mineral composition identical with that of theterrestrial materials. 203 ASTRONOMY FOR AMATEURS In any case, these uranoliths bring us back at leastby their fall to our Earth, and from henceforward we willremain upon it, to study its position in space, and to takeaccount of the place it fills in the Universe, and of theastronomical laws that govern our destiny. 204 CHAPTER VIIITHE EARTH Our grand celestial journey lands us upon our ownlittle planet, on this globe that gravitates between Marsand Venus (between War and Love), circulating likeher brothers of the solar system, around the colossalSun. The Earth! The name evokes in us the image ofLife, and calls up the theater of our activities, our ambi-tions, our joys and sorrows. Does it not, in fact, toignorant eyes, represent the whole o