WCP2414

Letter (WCP2414.2304)

[1]

5 Pitcullen Crescent

Perth

14th Sept[ember] 1889

Dear Mr. Wallace,

If you will examine the history of Gravitation theories of the origin of nebulae, and of the sun's heat(no easy matter to get at) you will find that I am right. I doubt you will not get much on the subject in any of our Encyclopedies[sic]. You will, however, find a great deal [2] on the literature of the matter in Winchell's "World Life", a book referred to in "Stellar Evolution", p. 22.

Laplac assumed that the primitive solar nebula was hot. See "Stellar Evolution" p. 30; but then, this was not the gravitation theory of the sun's heat.

What you say as to the absurd consequences which follow from the [3] supposing the heat of the nebula to be due to condensation by gravity is perfectly true; but so much the worse is it for the gravitation theory under every form[.]

Yours sincerely | James Croll1[signature]

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP2414.2304)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcription checked by Benny, Ruth [2014-12-02] Transcribed by Hamburger, Esther [2015-01-22] Transcription checked by Sherwood, Danni [2020-08-10]

Published letter (WCP2414.6827)

[1] [p. 471]

5 PITCULLEN CRESCENT, PERTH,

14th September 1889.

Alfred R. Wallace, Esq.

DEAR MR. WALLACE, — If you will examine the history of Gravitation theories of the origin of nebulae, and of the sun's heat (no easy matter to get at), you’ll find that I am right. I doubt you will not get much on the subject in any of our encyclopaedias. You will, however, find a great deal on the literature of the matter in Winchell's1 World-Life, a book referred to in Stellar Evolution, p. 22.

Laplace2 assumes that the primitive solar nebula was hot (see Stellar Evolution, p. 30); but then, this was not Gravitation theory of the origin of the sun's heat.

What you say as to the absurd consequences which follow from supposing the heat of the nebula to be due to condensation by gravity is perfectly true, but so much the worse is it for the Gravitation theory under every form. —

Yours sincerely, | JAMES CROLL.

1
Winchell, Alexander (1824-1891). United States geologist.
2
Laplace, Pierre-Simon (1749-1827). French mathematician, astronomer, and physicist.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Published letter (WCP2414.6827)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Lo, Yen-Nyuk [2019-12-18]

Please cite as “WCP2414,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 2 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP2414