viz., that when the matter and the heat of the collision of the two
half suns were dispersed, under the most favourable circumstances, into
a sphere of 6,000,000,000 miles in diameter, the mean density of the
matter would be equal to about 1/270th part of an atmosphere, and its
temperature--what is called--273° C. of absolute temperature, always
considering the quantity of the heat to have been 300,000,000° C.
Dr. Croll says that if a velocity of 476 miles per second were not
sufficient to produce the quantity of heat required, any other
necessary velocity might be supposed, but when we consider that his
supply of 300,000,000° C. would have to be increased to 82,000,000,000°
C., in order to add 1° C. of heat to the matter dispersed through a
sphere of 6,000,000,000 miles in diameter, it seems unnecessary to
pursue the subject any farther.
We may now take a look at Dr. Braun's Impact Cosmogony, of which we
know nothing beyond what is set forth in the Review in "Nature" already
alluded to, but that is enough for our purpose. We understand that he
extends his operations to the whole universe, which he conceives to
have been formed out of almost unlimited, and almost imponderable,
nebulous matter, not homogeneous, but with local irregularities in it,
which "would lead to the breaking up of the nebula into a vast number
of separate fragments." Out of one of these fragments he supposes the
solar system to have been formed. This fragment would contain local
irregularities also, which through condensation would lead to the
formation of separate bodies, and these bodies are supposed to have
been driven into their present forms, and gyrating movements of all
kinds, by centric and eccentric collisions among themselves, caused by
their mutual attractions. Of course anything can be supposed, but in a
construction of this kind the idea is forced upon us of the necessity
of the active superintendence of the Creator, to create in the proper
places and bring in the matter at the exact moment required, and to
see that the collisions were directed with the proper degree of energy
and eccentricity, to construct the kind of machine that was proposed.
To this idea we have no objections whatever, but we would like to see
the necessity for it acknowledged. Perhaps Dr. Braun does acknowledge
it, but the cosmogony is given to us, it would seem, to show what most
probably was the original scheme of construction, and implying that no
continual supervision and direction were required during the process.
If Dr. Braun could show us some method of attraction, and suspension
and variation of attraction, by which some of the separate bodies could
be drawn towards each other so as to form a central mass, nebula, or
sun, and to give it, by their impacts of collision, a rotary motion;
and how others of the separate bodies could be formed and held in
appropriate places, so as to be set in motion at the right moment; and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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