ASTRONOMICAL DISTANCES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 4077, 21 February 1894, Page 4

ASTRONOMICAL DISTANCES.

The following well illustrates the magnitude of astronomical distances, and the absolute meaninglessness of a million miles to the human intellect unless brought down to some concrete example. It is told in the "Boston G-lobe," of a lecturer who wished to give an illustration of the distance to Centauri, the nearest fixed star. This is what he said : "We shall suppose that some wealthy directors, for want of outlet for their energy and capita], construct a railway to Centauri. We shall neglect for the present, the en. gineering difficulties — a mere detail-— and suppose them overcome and the railway open for traffic. We shall go further, and suppose that the directors have found the construction of such a railway to have been peculiarly easy, and that the proprietors of inter-stellar space had not been exorbitant in their terms for right of way. Therefore, with a view to encourage traffic the directors bad made the fare exceedingly moderate— viz : first class at two cents per 100 miles. Desiring to take advantage of these facilities, a gentle, man by way of providing himself with small change for the journey, buys up the national debt of England and a few other countries, and, presenting himself at the office, demands a first class single to Centauri. For this he tenders in payment the scrip of the national debt of England, which just covers tbe cost of bis ticket ; but at this time the national debt from little wars has been run up from 3,500,000,000d0l to 5,500,000,000d01. Having taken his seat it occurred to him to ask : 'At what rate do you travel?' 'Sixty miles an hour, sir, including stoppages,' is the answer. ' Then when shall we reach Centauri ? ' In 48,663,000 years, sir.' "