Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-07-06
NEW WONDERS.
A New Nobula In the Ploiados DlsooV.
Crcd md Photographed In pn,in

New Nebula In the Plclados DlsooV.
cred and Photographed In Paris.
A discovery of extraordinary intercs'
has just been made by Paul and Prosper
Henry. the ingenious and laboriou,
star-gazers of the Paris observatory
BY means of their new photographins
telescope they have found nebula ir
the Plciades which appears to be con-
nected with the star Maia, one of the
members of that famous group. Tho
most powerful telescopes have failed "a
show any trace of this strange phcnom
enon when it is sought for with the eve
alone. But 1t clearly impresses its I'M
age upon the Photographic plato ex.
posed to its radiation.
The Messrs. Henry have published a
drawing of the new nebula. 1t is of .
very singular shape. Starting IRON
the star, it sweeps away in a broad
curve which gradually fades into in
visibility at a distance of some three
minutes of arc. 1t produces the I'M
preston of an enormous current of neb-
ulous matter rushing spirally into the
flames of this distant sun, as if it were
the fuel that feeds them. In some re-
spects it recalls the appearance of the
radiating streamers and banners OF
light that are seen surrounding our
own sun during a total eclipse, but of
course its actual magnitude is incom-
parably greater than that of the solar
corona. Besides the great curving
stream ending in the star, there is
another part of the nebula more dis
tinct and irregular which seems to be
composed of tlocculent masses and
interrupted and confused currents, re-
sembling some portions of the great
nebula in Orion.
The discovery of this nebula is doubly
interesting because it has been known
for many years that there was some
mysterious object in Pleiadcs which no
telescope and no eye seemed to be able
to grasp. As long ago as 1879 Jcaurat
published a map of this star group, in
which nebula was represented But
astronomers long looked for the nebula
in vain. In 1859 Tempel found a neb1la
in the Plciades, but it was not in the
position assigned by Jeaurat. Temples
nebula was afterward seen by others,
but it hardly ever appeared the same.
Sometimes for years it could not be
found at all, and it even seemed as
though it was not fixed in position. The
new ncbula discovered in Paris does not
occupy the place of Tempcl's nebula,
neither does it correspond to the nebula
of Jeaurat. The latter was near the
star Atlas, and Temples nebula appears
to be connected with still another Of
these celebrated sister stars, Meroe.
That three of the Pleiades should be
surrounded by nebulous mass certain
ly adds strength to the hypothesis OF
Mitchell that the members of this beauti-
full group are linked together in sys-
tenn by themselves, an assemblage of
suns lying like an islandgroup in space.
The most significant thing about tho
discovery of the Henrys is the promise
it gives as to the future importance of
photography in exploring the heavens
The value Of photographs Of celestial
phenomena in determining questions of
form and location has long been recog-
nized, but if this art is going to give
new eyes to astronomers and enable
them to detect in the heavens objects
that the sense of sight alone can not
reach, then the application which is
now being made of 1t at the Paris OBJ
servatory is likely to prove the most