The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-04-19
Facts About the STARS.

If the dignity of science is to
be measured by the inability of the
human mind to comprehend its
teachings, astronomy is certainly
the noblest of all. We very much
doubt If any man really has a clear
idea of all that is implied when the
distances of the planets from the
sun is stated and it is hardly less
difficult to understand all that has
been discovered in relation to the
sun itself. How much can we COM
prehend about a place where-the
diameter of the earth would be
convenient measure with which to
ascertain the height of flames
Have we any just conception of the
intensity of heat sufficient to vapor-
lie iron2 It is, however, when we,
IN imagination, leave the Solar Sys-
tenn, and start on q journey to the
stars, that we begin to understand
how Insignificant our earth really
is. 1t might serve to measure the
diameters of the stars, but for the
distance of the very nearest star
known to us, Alpha Centauri, we
must take another measure-i. e.,
the distance of the earth from the
ouus GAlP1a NOhI1ulA 10 lAAOAO NhoA
100000 times this distance, and if
the reader wishes to. test his pow
ers of comprehension let him at
tempt to grasp the import of this
statement. He may be aided by
comparing 1t with things familiar
with us. Fifty miles an hour is
very fast time for an express train /;
but at this speed the journey to
~ - Al
millions Of yearsl The velocity OF
light Is over 100, 600 miles second ;
and 1t requires over three years for
light of the nearest star to reach US.
The brightest star visible to us Is
Sirius, which is at five times as
great q distance from US as Alpha
Centauri. 1t has been calculated
that this star gives 800 times az
much light as the sun. Now, we
have no means of knowing the size
of Sirius but If the light of thai
star is equAl in intensity to that Of
the sun, Its diameter must be near.
ly IL times, and its mass over :, 20C
times as great. 1t is possible thai
its light Is more intense than this
but even il twice a. bright as the
sun, It must be II times as great in
diameter. Even this diameter, ov
or ten Millions Of miles, is beyond
anything OF which we have an &C
tual idea. An express train, at 81
miles an hour, would require NOR,
than seventy years to complete tn
circuit Of such q sphere.
The next star to Sirius In bright
ness, a. seen from the earth, is Can
opus, star which cannot be seel
further north than the most south
erly portions of the United States
This star Is between one-half an,
three-quarters IS bright as Sirius
and Is it shows no displacement
from the annual motion of tn
earth, we ara forced to the conclu
sion that It must be larger than 81
rius-perhepe many times as large
The distances of only about te
stars have ever been estimated, an
and OF the others visible, we ca
not even guess at their distance Q
sizes. All we can safely say is ths
they must be bodies of enormou
size in comparison with the planets
Doubtless many of them are IA
larger than the sun. Even the star
seen only through the most power
fal telescopes, must be large as con
pared with the earth. They ma
appear faint from being reall
small, bat Il would seem more rel
sonable to suppose that they are, {
q rule, comparable to our sun, an
that they are faint merely from Il
effect Of distance.