THE STAR DEPTHS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1374, 30 March 1878, Page 5

THE STAR DEPTHS.

The nearest fixed star is 226,000 times more distant than is the sun. Figures convey no idea of the vaßt interval, for no one can conceive a trillion, much less of 24 trillions, of miles. A spider thread on that star would blot out the space between sun and earth. Our luminary would appear as a small brilliant dot, our earth, even if it were not lost in the clear effulgence, would be absolutely and mathematically invisible. And this on the nearest fixed star ! If we proceeded further into the star depths ; our sun itself would dwindle smaller and disappear long before the atars were reached which now form the limit of our imperfect observations. If any fixed atar is inhabited, the inhabitants are not merely ignorant of our earth, but of all the other planets of the solar system. All might be swept away by some vast cataclysm, and the rest of the universe would be nono the wiser.

The London Spectator says : Miss Emily Faithfull's weekly paper, The West London Express, has proved such a success that she has been obliged to introduce steam machinery into her office, and to increase her staff of women compositors. Miss Faithfull promises some new features in the Victoria Magazine during the ensuing year. In the January number a series of portraits of eminent women, will be commenced, accompanied by biographical sketches,