Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-06-07

hAtNhtb ANAhh viz sun - III hAhNtF Ou
the opposite side OF the sun to what she
was In summer, and consequently the
earth's distance from the sun being
about ninety-one million miles. we see
the stars from two different points OF
view, one hundred and eighty millions
Of miles apart But vast as is this base
line, any change in tho position OF
star Is, with one or two exceptions, al
together inappreciable, and Sirius
stands barely within the limits Of any
approximate estimation. in fact. this
star, viewed from the two extremes OF
the earth's orbit, shows displacement
Of position equal to about the five
thousandth part Of the moons diameter,
so that IL is almost impossible for as
tronomers 10 determine the distance or
dimensions of Sirius by this means.
Bright as the DoP-star appears TO the
naked eye, in the telescope 1t appears as
a mere point Of light; and even In the
largest telcs opes constructed, though
It's light Is greatly Increased. definite
disc or outline, as is seen in the planets,
Is quite undiscernible; for II the power
Of a telescope was sufficient TO raise a
disc on the star, 1t would be almost an
impossibility 10 distinguish it, owing 10
its great brilliancy; for as Sir William
Hersehel tells us, when Sirius was about
to enter the field OF view OF his forty
feet reflector. "the light resembled that
which announces the approach Of sun
riso;" and when the star was in the field
Of view sit appeared in all the splendor
Of the rising sun, 80 that IL was impos-
sible TO behold it without pain TO the
oye."
Now, II astronomers could measure
the disc OF Sirius, they could from that
determine It's distance and measure It's
dimensions; but rs no outline is appreci-
able, they resort 70 comparing the light
received from this star with that which
We receive from the sun, and by this
means they are able TO form some con-
clusion as to its probable size. After
the most careful comparison OF the
light Of Sirius, the sun and other stars,
astronomers agree in fixing the volume
pi Sirius as exceeding our sun nearly
live thousand times, and his diameter
as exceeding our suns seventeen times.
so that the diameter Of this giant orb is
probably no less than over fourteen mil
lions OF miles,"
To the philosophers and scientists OF
the last century, 1t must have appeared
incredible that at any future time scien-
tific discoveries would have enabled us
TO tell with certainly the composition OF
the stars. Yet during the last fifty
years the science OF spectrum analysis
has so far advanced, as to give US unde-
niable proof Of the existence of certain
elements in the sun and also in the
stars. similar to those with which we are
acquainted ON earth As DIR. Higgins
says: ave now need not teach our chill
drcn that little coup,et Twinkle.
twinkle, little star, how | wonder what
you are because wo really know; We
have in the place OF wonder, knowl-
edge" OF this method of aseertaining
the composition OF a distant body by its
light, II is sufficient here To remark that
1t is due 10 the fact that, when a ray o.
light has by means OF the spectruscupe
passed through a glass prism, it Is
spread out into a broad band comprising
all the colors OF the rainbow. This
band or spectrum is in tho case Of the
sun and other similar bodies crossed by
a number Of line dark lines, which cor
respond 10 the various elements present
in their constitution. Now, IL certain
gases, such as hydrogen or sodium, be
burnt and their spectra examined, lines
similar "a those in the suns spectrum
will be- found: and If the two are com.
pared, the presence or absence OF such
elements in the sun may be inferred.
by this means Of spectrum analysis il
has been found that the sun contains "A
large numbcr of terrestrial elements, in
Guiding hydrogen, iron, sodium. msgne-
stun. zinc, lithium, copper, oxygen and
many others; of these, the first four
mentioned have been discovered In
Sirius; and doubtless most of the others
exist also, as the spectrum of this star
resembles that of our sun in all essen
tial respects. though 1t can not be OBJ
served under the same favorable con-
ditions
by mcaus of the spectroscope a very
wonderful discovery had been made re-
speeding Sirius. Astronomers has mo-
ticed that this star was in rapid motion
through space, as il was fonnd that year
by year IL was changing its position in
the heavens. traYersing In about fifteen
hundred years space equal to the APP
parent diameter of the moon, at a Veloci-
ty OF no less than twenty miles per
second. or course, by actual observa-
ton the only motion capable Of being
detected would be that which was square
to the line Of sight. so that although
Sirius appears 10 us 10 move across tho
heavens, he may really be- travelling in
a slanting direction, either towards or
from us. No one would ever haze ex-
pCcted - Ice able 70 tell whether a star
was approaching 10 or rceeding from US.
yet even this seemingly insolyable prob
lem has OF late years been accomplished
by the spcctroseope. DIR. Iluggins, our
greatest authority on this subject. hav-
ing identified certain lines In the spec
trum of Sirius as those of hydrogen,
found ON comparison that these were
displaced in such manner as TO indi-
rate that the star was receding from us
II has been estimated that this recess
sion combined with the thwart motion
u twenty miles per second, gives as the
actual movement of Sirius in space
speed of about tbtrty-three miles per
second.
These. then. constitute some of the
thief items OF Information about Sirius
Al present within our knowledge
There seems to be no reason TO doubt
hat. in common v ia other suns ha has
bis system Of planets ciriling round
aim after the manner OF our own sun;