Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1861-04-19
MOTIONS OF FIXED STARS.


That grandest of all problems tina
have ever engaged the attention Of the
human mind--the structure and motion;
of our stellar system-is moving steadily
forward TO its solution. The early OBJ.
servers of the heavens saw the sky roll.
ing constantly around the earth from east
to west, as if it were great hollow globe
hung upon a pivot at the north star and
upon another pivot at the south pole.---
The fixed stars seemed like silver nal
heads driven firmly into the rolling shell
and carried with it in its daily revolution
around the earth, but preserving the same
position in relation to each ether from
year to year, and century to century
This opinion in relation to the immova-
ble position of. the fixed stars continued
to prevail down to the last century, when
the large and bold intellect of Sir VIII
lam Herschel, as the inscription on his
monument says, "broke through the in
closures of heaven (cnLorum perrupit
claustra), and went forth to the study of
the universe of stars. The observations
of Herschel proved that the stars which
are visible TO our eyes, including the in
Vulnerable multitude whose blended light
makes up the "milky way" form clus-
ter or system by themselves, which is sep
arated by inconceivable distances from
other clusters that are to be seen as
faint nebule in the depths of space
Since Herschel's observations were made,
the study of our stellar system has occu-
pied large share of the attention of as
tronomers. The most important contri-
button to our knowledge of this subject
has been made by the herculean labors of
NJ. Maedler, superintendent of the obser-
vatory of Dorpat, in Russia.
The most prominent questions which
presented themselves to astronomers, in
regard to our stellar system, were what
are its form and dimensions Is there
a great central body about which others
are revolving, as the planets are revolv-
ing about our sun? Is our solar system
moving among the other stars And
if SO, in what direction and With what
velocity? Some of these questions have
been satisfactorily answered, while sug-
gestions of greater or less probability are
offered in relation to the others.
There can be no doubt tha! our solar
system is moving through space in the
direction of the constellation Hercules,
the precise point being not far from 262
degrees right ascension, and 40 degrees
north declination. Nearly all astrono-
mers acquiesce also in Maedler's conclu-
sion, that there is no central body which
controls the movements Of the other stars
by its preponderating mass. Maeder is,
however, satisfied that all the bodies of
our stellar system are revolving about
common center of gravity, and to the de-
termining Of the position of this center
he has devoted a great deal of labor and
study.
Among all the consultations in the sky, /
there is no other which has in all ages
attracted 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 the Pleiades, or loose
the bands Of Orion ?" And for many
a succession of poetic feelings |
have gathered around the long lost sis
ter of the seven stars" But fresh in
terest has now been given to this storied
group, for Maedler's computations lead
to the conclusion that Alcyone, the bright
est 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 CEN
ter of gravity of this stellar system, as
well as the velocity of its motion, is yet
undetermined, though some of Maedler's
observations indicate that the distance is
such that it would take 640 years to pass
through The space, that the suns velocity
in his orbit is about 1000 miles per min
ute, and that it will take him about
100000 of years to make one revolu-
lion. The latest conclusion in regard to
The size of of our stellar system is that
a ray of light moving at the rate of
$4,000 miles per second would reduire
about 1000 years to pass through its di-
lmeter.
The Pleiades are at this time OF the
year. almost exactly overhead at six
o'clock in the evening. A little way to
he southeast of the Pleiades are the
II yades, five stars in the form Of V,
with bright star in the end of one side
Still farther to the sOuthestis Orion, with !
he three bright stars in his belt. Far
her still in the same direction, forming
almost straight line with the three groups
mentioned, is the Dog Star, Sirius, the
brightest of all the fixed stars. But, as