Stellar Evolution and Its Relations to Geological Time (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Stellar Evolution and Its Relations to Geological Time

We have evidently in this case a means of deter mining which of the two sources will ultimately have to be adopted as the source to which the energy of our solar system must be referred. For if it can be proved from the admitted facts of geology, biology, and other sciences, that the amount of energy in the form of heat which has been radiated into space by the sun during geological time is far greater than the amount which could possibly have been derived from gravita tion, this will undoubtedly Show that gravitation can not account for the energy originally possessed by our system.

The First Part of the volume is devoted to the consideration of what I believe to be the probable origin of meteorites, comets, and nebulae, and of the real source from which our sun derived hls energy. The facts which support the theory here advocated, together with the light which that theory appears to cast upon those facts, are next considered; and it will be found, I think, that the theory has been very much strengthened by the recent important spectroscopic researches of Mr. Lockyer and others in reference to the constitution of nebulae. The Second Part of the work deals with the evidence in support of the theory derived from the testimony of geology and biology as to the age of the sun's heat. 'the Third, and last, Part has been devoted to questions relating to the pre-nebular condition of the universe, and the bearing which these have on theories of stellar evolution. Several subjects introduced in this part are only very briefly treated. These will, however, be considered at greater length in a future volume, Determinism, not Force, the Foundation-stone of Evolution, a work of a more general and abstract character, which was commenced many years ago.

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