Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-04-03
The Moyements OF the Fixod ssars.

That grandest Of all problems that have
ever engaged the attention of the human
mind-the structure and motions of our
stellar system, says the Scientific american
Is moving steadily forward to its solution.
The early observers of the heavens saw the
SKY rolling constantly around the earth
from east to west, as if it were great hol-
low globe hung upon o pivot at the north
and upon another pivot at the south pole.
The fixed stars seemed like silver nail-heads
driven firmly into the rolling she'll, and
carried with it in its daily revolution around
the earth, but preserving the same position
in relation TO each other from year TO year,
and century TO century. This opinion in
regard TO the immovsble position of the
fixed stars continued to prevail down to the
last century, when the large and bold in
tellect of Sir William Herschel, as the in
seTiption on his monument says, "Broke
through the inclosure of Heaven" (c@yorum
! peTTupu etdustrd), and went forth to the
study OF the universe of stars. The observ-
atioIs OF Herschel proved that the stars
| which are visible to our eyes, including the
innumerable multitudes whose blended light
makes up the milky way" form cluster
or system by themselves, which is separated
by inconceivable distances from other clus-
ters that are to be seen as faint nebula in
the depths Of space. Since .Herschels OBJ
servations were made, the study of our stel-
lar system has occupied large share of the
attention OF astronomers. Tho most i'm
pOrtRnt contribution to our knowledge of
the subject has been made by the Herculeau
laboIs of M. Maedler, superintendent of the
Observatory of Dorpat, in Russia.
The most prominent questions which
presented themselves to astronomers, in re-
gard to our stellar system were: WHAT are
its form and dimensions Is there q great
central body about which the others are
revolving, as the planets revolve around our
sun? is our solar system moving among
the other stars and if so, in what direc-
ton, ard with what velocity Some of
these questions have been pretty satisfac-
torily answered, while suggestions of greater
or less probability are offered in relation to
the others.
There can be no doubt that our solar sys-
TEN is moving through space in the direc-
tion of the constellation Hercules, the pre-
else point being not far from 262o right as j..
cension, and 400 north declination. Nearly
all astronomers acquiesce also in MaedlerIs 8
conclusion, that there is no large central
body which controls the movements of the
other stars by its preponderating mass.
Maedler is, however, satisfied chat all the
bodies of our stellar system are revolving
about common center of gravity, aud to
the determining of the position of this
center he has devoted great deal of labor
and study.
Among the consultations in the sky,
there is no other which has in all ages at
! tracted so much human interest as the little
cluster of the Pleiades. One of the finest
passages in the Scripture is the question to
Job, "Canst thou bind the sweet influence
of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion ~
And for many centuries succession of
poetic feeling has gathered around "the
long lost sister of the seven stars" But a
fresh interest has now been given to this
stoTied group, for the computations of Maed.
Ter lead to the conclusion that Alcyone, the
brightest star of the cluster, occupies the
very center around which the hosts OF
heaven roll their majestic courses. .
The distance of our sun from the center
of gravity Of this stellar system, as we'll as
| the velocity of its motion, is yet undeter-
mined, though some of Maedlers observa-
tions indicate that the distance is such that
it would take $40 years to pass through the
| space; that the suns velocity in his orbit is
about 1000 miles per minute and that i
will take him about 100000 of years ia
make one revolution. The latest conclusion
in regard to the size of our stellar system is,
that a ray of light moving at the rate of 1872,
900 miles per second, would require about
1900 years to pass through its diameter.
The Pleiades are at this time of the year
almost exactly overhead at six o'clock in the
evening, and, of course, farther west later
in the evening. A little way to the south
east of the Pleiades are the Hyades,. five
stars in the form of V, with bright star
in the end of one side. Still farther to the
south east is Orion, with the three bright
stars in his belt. Farther still in the same
direction, forming almost a straight line
with the three groups mentioned, is the Dog
Star, Sirius, the brightest of all the fixed
stars. But, as we have said, the most in.
teresting of these is the faint little cluster OF
| Pleiades, for is is probable that around the
| brightest of this group, AlcyOne, our own
sun and all the stars that we can see in the
| sky, are sweeping in their immense orbits.