The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-14
DIR. HARTING,s NEW STAR.
A Stellar Discovery that May Upset Many
Existing Theories.


Existing Theories.
LONDON Sept. 12--AstronomerS have for the
first time in the worlds history assisted at the
birth of new member Of our stellar system.
DIR. Harting, of the Dorpat University ohserv-
atory in Russia, is the godfather Of this by no
means li.sle stranger, which may be thirty
million times larger than our sun, and which.
by its mere birth. threatens to upset many of
most cherished astronomical theories.
The nebula of Andromeda is the mother of
the new star. Between 0 and 10 o'clock on any
clear evening the newlyborn may be found in
the eastern sky, well up from the horizon, as a
glowing point of the eighth magnitude, sur
rounded by the eloudlike mist Of the nebula
from which it sprane good pair of opera
glasses will clearly show both the nebula and
star.
Our midwife astronomers are hard at
work measuring, weighing and gossiping about
the unexpected youngster, which has given
them no cause for complaint as regards either
growth or ability to make noise in the world.
On Aug 10 the nebu.a was carefully scanned,
but not the slightest signs of change were OBJ
served. The nebula according to photograph
then taken remained in it's ordinary condition
of gigantic agglomeration of family glowing
star mist. in which the most powerful telescopes
could distinguish nothing except a faintlyde
fined nucleus OF nebula.
On Aug 10 the new star was seen as q
brilliant point near the nucleus, but the great
importance of the discovery was not appreciated
until this week. Since its sudden birth the star
has given constant cause for astronomical gossip
on account of its irregular habits. Not only has
it changed its position in the sky by ten seconds
in one direction and two seconds in the other,
but it also shines with an unsteady Pickering,
orange-like light new to members Of the stald
star family
These manifestations may be simply species
of stellar wild oats, from which the new star
will emerge to be a credit to its mother, or they
may portend a career as startling as its origin.
Godfather Harting declines TO predict his nurs-
ling's future and Mr.. Richard A Proctor, who
has the reporters seat at all celestial events. Is
equally non.committal Certain it is, at any
rate, that by its birth, its life and perhaps its
death. this dssolute star will teach astronomers
many valuable lesson concerning the universe
It may be that it will leave behind it, if it dies,
q wreck of theories which will bring gray
headed astronomers in sorrow to new beliefs.
1t is an odd fact that the variable stars which
occasionally and unexpectedly appear in the
heavens generally appear in the midst OF gas
eous nebulp. This seems to emphasize still
further the difference between the new and un-
known and other new stars; for Andromeda is
shown by the telescope to be stellar, not
gaseous nebula. Moreover, all astronomers so
far agree that the new star is not WORKOUT sun
Unexpectedly blazing into new lie, out Is. on tne
contrary, new agglomeration of force and
matter suddenly created or brought together by
laws not yet even to be guessed at by our
science.
With its first flicker the new star shook La
places nebular hypothesis until seams and flaws
stand out all over this theoretical explanation of
the creation, for single catastrophe" sun
blazing out with full powers would utterly upset
theory which demands ages of slow accretion
before such a sun could be thought of.
This star may prove also, that our universe is,
after all, but system of stars. and that the
theory Of stellar systems according to which
ours is but one of many systems is untrue.
This new teacher seems to show that all the won
derful variety of suns-double. triple and multi
ple far distant sun Clouds and star dust AND star
vapor, as welfare alike parts of our own system,
not strangers subject to other laws and with
other attributes. AS this star by its birth has
shown the universal kinship of worlds, may it
not also enable astronomers to look forward to
the end of all matter!
With the British Association discussing it
from the Aberdeen point of view, with tela-
scopes pointing from all the observatories of this
hemisphere toward it, and with astronomical
Wears writing letters to the Times about it, the
new star must certainly tell what it has to tell.