Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-11

"Dog STAR" the most brilliant of the starry
host, its light being estimated to equal from
three to five tim es that of an average star of
the FIRST magnitude. Still farther to the left
and at about the same distance from Sirius
and Betelgeuse, forming with these two stars
a nearly equal triangle, is Procyon. the
Lesser Dog. Directly Overhead Is Capeiia,
the ''Kid," likewise Q star Of the first mag
nitude
Brilliant Corner Of the Sky.
Here are six first magnitude stars, richly
intersperssd with stars of the second and
third orders and having for their back
ground the mellow light Of the Milky Way,
giving to this region an especially brilliant
aspect Some Of these lesser lights are
worth noting. If we will run curved line
from Capella through Betelgeuse to Sirius
we shall strike about midway between Ca
pella and Betelgeuse q noticeable pair of
stars, which form the tips of the golden
horns" of Taurus. A short distance east Of
the zenith (the point directly overhead)
may be seen o second pair, about equally
distant from Capella and Betelgeuse. These
are the "Twins"-the northernmost, Castor;
the southernmost Pollux-s pair especially
noteworthy, since they mark very nearly
the place of the summer solstice, in the
'sign" Cancer, but in the constellation
Gemini.
Still lower in the east, about one-third Of
the distance from the horizon to the zenith,
is Regulus, formerly regarded as q star Of
the first magnitude, but now degraded to
the second rank. Regulus is the principal
star in the ancient constellation Leo (the
Lion), and is in the handle of the better
known sub-constellstion of the Sickle.
The Nsbula in Orion.
The region here roughly outlined is
especially interesting from an astronomical
point of view. The great Nebula in Orion,
although invisible to the naked eye, has 80
often been described and depicted in text
books and in recent years has been the sub
ject of so much discussion that it lies fairly
within the domain of popular astronomy.
Its position is in the Sword" Just below
the lowermost Of tbs three stars which form
the 'Belt"
A field glass will reveal 1t a. blurred
star. Seen through telescope 1t has the
appearance of luminous cloud-as its
name, "nebula, implies-too large to be
included wholly in the field Of view. On
one side, where it is the brightest, 1t pre-
sents fairly distinct outline, but on all
other sides it fades away gradually into i'm
The brighter part has Curl
Gus resemblance to the head of some mon
ster animal, dark recess forming an open
mouth, while above this streamer of light
30 much resembles the uplifted trunk of an
elephant that it is often referred to as the
"proboscis." At the bottom of the dark
gulf, or mouthlike opening, is a bright star,
which telescope even OF moderate power
resolves into multiple star of four COM
ponents-to which larger telescope adds
H. D-hioh
Is The principal point Of reference in the !
nebula.
Analysed by the Spectroscope.
Although this mysterious. mist-like OBJ
ject had long been studied with the tele-
been explored carefully with the
powerful instruments of the elder Herschel
and of Lord Rosse-its true nature remained
q debated point until that wonderful instru-
ment the spectroscope was brought to bear
upon It independently by Father Secchi
and DR.. Huggins some % years ago. Both
of these observers found It's spectrum" to
consist of bright lines, instead OF being
Continuous" like the spectrum of the sun
and other solid bodies, and the long-debated
question of its ''resolvability" was definitely
settled.
There is no longer doubt that this is
true nebula, as was always maintained by
Herschel. and not simply an aggregation Of
stars so minute or 30 distant as to shine only
BY their blended light, as has proved to be
the case with many other supposed nebula
If the story of its light, as that story is now
read by astronomers, can be trusted, this
vast luminous cloud, the extent OF which
battles the power of the Imagination to con-
,eive, is q mass Of glowing gases, among
which hydrogen and nitrogen seem to be the
most abundant
The New Meteor Theory.
But just at this point, just as astronomers
ire congratulating themselves upon having
the nature of this and other
nebule, Mr.. Lockyer comes forward with
MS new "meteor theory" based also upon
work, and the discussion, in
'tesd Of being closed, has simply brsnched
IF in q new direction. According to Mr..
Lockyer mot only nebul@, but all Of the
celestial bodies, including the stars, are
lue to the; impact of metrors upon one
mother, the differences in the resulting |
,henomena being caused by differences In |