M. F. W. G. Struve gives as the splendid result of the united studies
of MM. Argelander, O. Struve, and Peters, grounded on observations
made at the three Russian observatories of Dorpat, Abo, and Pulkowa,
“that the velocity of the motion of the solar system in space is such
that the sun, with all the bodies which depend upon it, advances
annually towards the constellation Hercules[17] 1·623 times the radius
of the earth’s orbit, or 33,550,000 geographical miles. The possible
error of this last number amounts to 1,733,000 geographical miles, or
to a _seventh_ of the whole value. We may, then, wager 400,000 to 1
that the sun has a proper progressive motion, and 1 to 1 that it is
comprised between the limits of thirty-eight and twenty-nine millions
of geographical miles.”
That is, taking 95,000,000 of English miles as the mean radius of
the Earth’s orbit, we have 95 × 1·623 = 154·185 millions of miles;
and consequently,
English Miles.
The velocity of the Solar System 154,185,000 in the year.
” ” 422,424 in a day.
” ” 17,601 in an hour.
” ” 293 in a minute.
” ” 57 in a second.
The Sun and all his planets, primary and secondary, are therefore
now in rapid motion round an invisible focus. To that now dark and
mysterious centre, from which no ray, however feeble, shines, we
may in another age point our telescopes, detecting perchance the
great luminary which controls our system and bounds its path: into
that vast orbit man, during the whole cycle of his race, may never
be allowed to round.--_North-British Review_, No. 16.