The Sun, Moon and Stars.
Hereis a picture which represents the earth in the centre, and the sun, moon and stars around it. It also represents clouds around the earth.
We suppose that all our readers know that the earth is a vast globe, or ball, eight thousand miles in diameter and twenty-five thousand miles in circumference. It is suspended in space, and makes a vast circuit around the sun, every year. It also turns round on its axis once in twenty-four hours.
Some people cannot conceive that the earth turns round every day, and I know of a man who insists that it is impossible. “Why,” says he, “if the earth was to turn round, my well would be bottom upwards, and all the water would run out!” The fact that the earth revolves like a wheel, is just as certain as that there is a sun or a moon.
In the picture, the sun appears very near to the earth; but this is only to show how the sun shines on the earth.The sun is actually ninety-five millions of miles from the earth. The moon is also a great many thousand miles from the earth. The stars are likewise very distant, some of them being much farther off than the sun.
Sun and earth
The science of the heavenly bodies is called astronomy; and a very interesting study it is. It tells us the size, the distance, and the motions of the sun, moon and stars, as far as we can learn them. In the study of the stars, a telescope is used, which enables us to see a great many more stars than are visible to the naked eye; it also enables you to see little moons around some of the planets, such as Jupiter and Saturn; it also enables you to see a bright ring around Saturn.
By the study of the heavens, wise and learned men have come to the opinion that all these bright orbs which you see in the sky at night, are worlds, covered with people, like our own world. They suppose that, to the people in these stars, our world looks like a little bright star.What a great subject of contemplation is this! And how mighty and glorious must be that Being who has created, and who sustains so many worlds, with all the living beings that dwell upon them!