Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-07-17

suns in Flames.
, The catastrophe in the steller system
the coni1agraton of star which caused
, SO much commotion in astronomical circles
a lew months ago, is made the subject O
OF an article in Btlgraria by Richard A
Proctor. lie says that this catastroph,
happened probably hundred years ago
the messenger which brought the news to
us, though travelling at rate sufficient tc
circle the ear'h eight times in the course
OF second, had lraversed millions upon
millions of miles before reaching us last
November If similar accident happened
To our sun the creatures on that side of the
earth turned toward him would be de.
stroyed in an instant, and the rest very
quickly aftrwards The heavens would
be dissolved and the elements would melt
with fervent heat. The question is asked
whether the earth is in this danger, and
whether warning would be given of the
coming destruction? The answer may
be gathered from the facts mentioned in
the article. There have been other solar
contlagrations before that which was
made known last ial. The first ON record
observed by Hipparchus-occurred 1000
! y
daylight, showing that it was many times
brighter than Sirius, the blazing dog
star. 1t was called IL new star because it
had ever been invisible, until its con-
flagratiom made its light temporarily visi-
ble.
The next new star (or stellar conflagra-
tion) appeared in the regions of the
heavens be ween Cepheus and Cassiopeiu
three times, A. d. 945. 1864. 1872. and is
expected to be seen ON fire again before
long. This star remained burning at its
last appearance for sixteen months 1t
appeared larger than Jupiter and brighter
than Sirius. 1t did not attain this lustre
gradually, hut shone forth at once in its
iuIl size and brightness as if it had been
OF instant creation. In 1856 Fabricius OBJ
served a new star in the NJ OK of the
Whale" constellation, and in September,
1904. new one was discovered in Ophin-
chus. In 1910 II new Star appeared in the
constellation Cygnus, remaining visible for
nearly two years. In 1913 another was
seen which has continued in existence since
its apparent creation. BY the aid of the
ing the telescope and the speclroscope-it
woo llldtL lllC lllClthSG III Tue SllI ,
light, rendering the star visible, was due to
the abnormal heat of the hydrogen sur
rounding that remote sun. But it could
not he so easily decided whether this hy-
drogen was agow with the heat of the star
or whether absolute combustion was in
process.
In other words, was it as a red-hot piece
of iron or like Il red-hot coalP These star
connagrations, it is believed, are caused
by contact with other heavenly bodes-
meteoric flights travelling on eccentric
paths, or those in attendance of the comets.
The meteors attendant on II comet continue
to follow in its path years after the comet
has disappeared. The trail of the comet of
lo43 must actually have grazed our sun.
Newton's comet nearly approached it.
At any time We might he visited by II
comet mightier than either, travelling ON
an orbit intersecting the suns surface, fol
lowed by flights Of meteor'c masses cnor-
nous in size and many in number, which,
falling upon the sun, would excite his
whole frame 10 Il degree ofheat far exceed
ing what he now emits We have evidence
of the tremendous heat to which the suns
surface would be excited in such II case.
~ iCOo GNO lu6ItOilC illftSScS CtiUc Iulp
contact with the sun. The downfall of
these two bodies only affected the whole
frame Of the earth at the very time when
the sun had been thus disturbed. Vivid
auroras were seen where they had never
been seen before, accompanied by electro
magnetic disturbances all over the world
In many places the telegraph struck work,
the signal men received severe shocks, ,and
at Boston flame of fire followed The pen
OF Ban's electric telegraph, which writes
the message upon chemically prep ,red
paper. This was the effect of two mcteors.
The effect of II comet bearing in its flight
many millions of meteoric masses falling
upon the sun-should that take pace-cun
be understood.
Our sun, seen from some remote star
whence ordinarily he is visible. would
shine out us Il new sun for IL few days,
while all things living on our earth and
whatever other members of the solar sys-
tenn are the abode of life would inevitably
be destroyed. If comet came out of that
part of the constellation Taurus, arriving
in such time rs to fall upon .hc sun in
May or June, the light cf the sun would
act us veil, and we should be instantly
destroyed without knowing anything about
it, Ifit fell in November or December we
should see ii for weeks, and astronomers
would be able to tell us when it would fall
upon the sun. The disturbance upon the
sun would be temporary, but there would
be no students of science left to record the
effects. The chances are largely against
such an accident. Our sun is one among
millions, any one of which would become
visible to the eye under such IN accident
yet during the last 1000 years less than
twenty such catastrophes have been re-
corded. Mr.. Proctor, moreover, reassures
us in another way. He says, in effect
that all but one of these conilagratons
have appeared in the zone of the Milky
Way, ana that one in n region connected
with the Milky Way by ii well-marked
stream of stars; that the PROGRESS OF de-
velopment is still going on in the region ;
but that if there be among the comets
travelling in regular attendance upon the
sun one whose orbit interSects the suns
globe, it must have struck before the era
of man, and that in our solar system we
may fairly believe that all comets of the
destructive sort have been eliminated, and
that for many ages sill to come the sun
will continue TO discharge his duties as
fire, light and life Of the solar system.
Ec.