Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 September 1886 — Other Worlds. [ARTICLE]

Other Worlds.

Regarding ;he suns we call “the stars” as members of a sidereal system of unknown extent (one of the innumerable systems of the same order), the chance that any sun selected at a random is, like our own sun at the present time, attended by a planetary system in one member of which at least life exists, is exceedingly small if, as is possible, the life-supporting era of a solar system’s existence is very short compared with the independent existence of the system. If the disproportion is of the same order as in the case of a single planet, the probability is of the same order of minuteness. In other words, if we select any star at a random, it is as unlikely that the system attending on that sun is at present in the lifebearing stage as a system, as it is that any planet selected at random is at present in the life-bearing stage as a planet. This conclusion, indeed, may be regarded as scarcely less certain than the former, seeing that we as little doubt the relative vastness of the periods of our sun’s existence before and after his existence as a supporter of life, as we doubt the relative vastness of periods before and after the life supporting era of any given planet. There is, however, one element of doubt in the case of the star. The very fact of the star’s existence as a steady source of light and heat implies that the star is in a stage resembling that through which our own sun is now passing. It may be, for instance, that the prior stages of solar life are indicated by some degree of nebulosity, and the later stages by irregular variations, or by such rapid dying out in brightness as has been observed in many stars. Yet a sun must be very nebulous indeed — that is, must be at a very early stage in its history—for astronomers to be able to detect its nebulosity; and again, a sun must long have ceased to be a life supporter before aiiy sign of decadence measurable at our remote station, and with our insignificant available timeintervals for comparison, are manifiested.