--the seas, the atmosphere, the clouds, and ourselves,--we are
unable to perceive it, because all the objects that surround us keep
their respective positions among themselves. Hence we must resort to
logic, and reason out the two hypotheses.

For the accomplishment of this rapid journey of the Sun and stars around
the Earth, it would be necessary that all the orbs of the sky should be
in some way attached to a vault, or to circles, as was formerly
supposed. This conception is childish. The peoples of antiquity had no
notion of the size of the universe, and their error is almost excusable.
The distance separating Heaven from the Infernal Regions has been
measured, according to Hesiod, by Vulcan's anvil, which fell from the
skies to the Earth in nine days and nine nights, and it would have
taken as long again to continue its journey from the surface of the
Earth to the bowels of Hades.

To-day we have a more exact notion of the grandeur of the Universe. We
know that millions and trillions of miles separate the stars from one
another. And by representing these distances, we can form some idea of
the difficulty there would be in admitting the rotation of the universe
round the Earth.

The distance from here to the Sun is 149,000,000 kilometers (93,000,000
miles). In order to turn in twenty-four hours round the Earth, that orb
would have to fly through Space at a velocity of more than 10,000
kilometers (6,200 miles) a second.

Yes! the Sun, splendid orb, source of our existence and of that of all
the planets, a colossal globe, over a million times more voluminous than
the Earth, and 324 thousand times heavier, would have to accomplish this
immense revolution in order to turn round the minute point that is our
lilliputian world!

This in itself would suffice to convince us of the want of logic in such
an argument. But the Sun is not alone in the Heavens. We should have to
suppose that all the planets and all the stars were engaged in the same
fantastic motions.

Jupiter is about five times as far off as the Sun; his velocity would
have to be 53,000 kilometers (32,860 miles) per second.

Neptune, thirty times farther off, would have to execute 320,000
kilometers (198,000 miles) per second.

The nearest star, [alpha] of the Centaur, situated at a distance 275,000
times that of the Sun, would have to run, to fly through space, at a
rate of 2,941,000,000 kilometers (1,823,420,000 miles) per second.

All the other star