Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1880-06-05
Tho Great Star Distances.

The method of finding the distance Of
the stars, or stellar parallax, is one Of
the interesting problems of modern as
tronomy. In the DAYS of old the stars
were supposed to hold the same posi-
ton in regard to each other from age
to age, and were. therefore, called fixed
stars, to distinguish them from the plan
cts. Nothing can be further from the
truth. The telescope shows that the
stars are in constant motion, but that
the rate Of motion is SO slow that thou
sands of years must elapse before the
eye can perceive the change. Some
stars are coming toward us, and some
are receding from us. The sun, which
is only star. is moving with all the
planets in his train. Our earth, which
is but an atom among atoms, is whirl-
ing, no one knows whittier, through il
limitable space. Even the serene heav-
en- above us is this same space pcryad-
ed by an infinitely subtle ether, whose
particles are seething and surging like
the waves OF the stormy sea. The mo
ton of the stars once established, it must
follow that some Of them are nearer to
us than others. and very persistent and
painstaking have been the efforts to find
out which of the shining suns of space
re our nearest neighbors.
Success has, however, crowned pa
tent labor. Among the fifty million
stars that glimmer in the armament,
there are about dozen stars visible in
our latitude that have a parallax rang
ing from tenth TO half a second. 1t
would be natural to suppose that the
brightest stars are the nearest, but this
is far from being the case. The nearest
star in the northern heavens is double
star of the fifth magnitude in the Swan.
known as 81 Cygni. The brilliant ST.
RUS is nearly twice as far away. The
nearest star in the whole heavens is
Alpha Centauri, bright star near the
south pole. This has a parallax of
nine-tenths of a second, and is twice as
near as any other star. Its distance is
computed as more than two hundred
thousand times our distance from the
sun, or twenty millions of millions of
miles. If such be the inconceivable dis
lance separating us from the nearest
star, what idea can the finite mind
form of the immensely of space inter-
vening between US and the more re
mote?
Vigorous work is now being done in
stellar parallax by what is called Bes-
sells method. A star with proper mo-
ton, or one that has been found to APP
proach or recede from the sun, is Sc
lected, and its position is compared
night after night by means of the mi
crometer with other small stars in the
vicinity having no proper motion, and
therefore presumed to be farther away.
The star with proper motion will change
its position in regard to the more re-
mote ones when observed from differ
ent parts of the earth's orbit. Some
interesting and intricate work of this
kind has been successfully completedat
Mr.. Seagrave's private observatory by
Mr.. Waldo and Mr.. Seagrave The
problem was to determine the parallax
of star called Theta Cassiopee. This,
by measuring its position and distance
from two small stars in the vicinity;
was found to be less than one-tenth of
a second. These enthusiastic astrono-
mers worked upon the problem from
the first of September, 1873, to the first
of November, 1879. During that time
they made measurements Of each star
on one hundred and twenty nights. A
trained eye, keen perception and mathe-
NAUTICAL precision, as well as patience
and persistence, were involved in the
solution of this delicate and intricate
problem. These are the means by
which astronomy has won its most
brilliant triumphs, and those who
would become practical astronomers
must give their nights to observation
and their days to study.-ProUidence
Or. ~ Journal.
EVERY lover of lettuce should SOW a
few seeds of the Hanson, the largest
,orf lnourn III. hoaL, Of ,r.hioh r,,aan