Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-22


as was mentioned in . preceding
article in this series, IL the
star nearest to the earth, Of
those whose distance has been measured.
It is about 10000, 600. 900, 900 miles
away. Arcturus's distance Is moro
than seven times as great, or about
$50, 900. 400, 600, 900 miles. These dis
taDces are, of course, utterly incompre-
hensible to the human mind. A ray OF
light, travelling at the inconceivable ye-
locity Of 10000 miles in . second,
would be about twenty.six years in
uaversibg the space which separates
the earth from Arcturus. Vega Is not
quite so far away as this, being, In
terms Of the velocity Of light, about
twenty.one years distance, so to speak.
sPIcA.
Nearer the western horizon than Arc
turus another first-msgnitude star may
be seen for about half an hour in the
evening at the close Of twilight. Itsets
early. This is Spica, the principal star
in the constellation Of the Virgin. The
Virgin is one Of the twelve-star groups
composing the zodiac. The sun APP
pears to set in this constellation in the
month of September. Spica is the seven
teenth in order of brightness among
frst.magnitude stars. A line drawn
from Arcturus to Spica, and thence to
Reeulus, the latter Of which stars now
sets too early to be visible, would form
an eauilateral triangle. Spica is the
only star at all noticeable in the Virgin,
as Arcturus is the only striking lumi-
nary in the constellation Of Bootes.
A NORTHERN CROWN.
About half way between Vega and
Arcturus is q collection Of third and
fourth.msgnitude stars arranged in the
form Of a semi-circle. This is the
Northern Crown--its name being sug-
gested by the distribution OF these
stars. This constellation is notable
from the fact that in it star blazed
out suddenly to brightness Of the Sc
cond magnitude in 1866, and then
slowly faded away and was lost to
view by the naked eye. This
was believed by some amateur
observers at the time to be a
new star, which had, as it were, sud
denly sprung into existence. Research,
however, revealed the fact that it had
been recorded in Argelander's cata-
logue of stars as Of the ninth magni-
tude, though it appeared not to have
been noticed by other astronomers I'M
til its sudden entrance into the ranks
Of the luminaries of the higher orders
Of brightness. 1t has subsided again
to the same grade. This class of stars,
of which two or three remarkable ones
were seen before 1866, aud one ten
years later in the constellation OF the
Swan, are now added to the variety
termed variable stars.
HERCULES.
Between tho Northern Crown and the
Tyre is collection of third, fourth,
and filth.magnitude stars called Her
cuIes. This group is invested with an
interest far beyond what it would APP
pear to merit, judging solely from its
contour and the apparent brightness oil
its individual members. The interest
in question springs from the fact that
many astronomers believe that the sun,
with its family Of worlds, together with
! all the stars belonging to the same
system, are sweeping through a
vast orbit in the direction Of Hercules.
The members of this constellation are
thought to be slowly moving farther
and farther apart, in appearance, whll'
those Of the constellation Argus, on IN
opposite side Of the celestial sphere
are believed TO be apparently moving
closer and closer together. III this phe
nomenon could be proven the move
ment Of the stars and solar system IL
the direction Of that little group of ap
parently Insignificant orbs would prac
tically be demonstrated.
South of the Tyre is seen three stars,
ranged in nearly straight line, thu
middle one of which is Of the first mag
nitude, and the other two Of the second
This is the constellation Of Aquilla the
Eagle. Its central star is Affair, which
is classed as sixteenth IN the order Of
brightness Of the 6rst-msgnitude stars
CAPELLA.
Within the past two or three week:
another star has been added to the con-
spicuOus luminaries visible in the north
elm sky before midnight. This is the
brilliant star Capella, whioh rises into
view in the northeast about Il O'Clock.
1t is Of pale yellOwish tint. Capella
is the seventh in order Of brightness,
ranking in this respect below Arcturus
and above Vega. 1t would far surpaSs
AIcturus, however, in apparent bright
ness If it were no farther from the earth
than that lumlnary is. For Capella is
among the most remote Of the stars
whose distance from US has been com.
puted. 1t is nearly three times as far
away from the earth as Arcturus is, be.
ing 4l7,0l2, 600, 100000 miles away.
Compared with this vast gulf Of space,
the distance Of the earth from the sun
dwindles to a point. In fact, the
100000 miles separating US from
the central body of our system would
have TO be Heightened ASA, 900 times,
each separate edition of length being the
same as its original extent, before il
would equal the distance between the
earth and Capella. Light-tO retrrn
to our former illustratlon-would re.
quire seventy-two years to traverse the
tremendous ocean Of space which ex-
tends between the earth and this remote
northern luminary.